The Kevin O’Connell Rumors Have Rubbed Some Folks the Wrong Way
Mere hours before the Minnesota Vikings’ Week 18 contest in Detroit that would determine homefield advantage in the postseason, a bombshell rumor dropped from FOX Sports‘ Jay Glazer suggesting multiple NFL clubs might seek Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell via trade.
The Kevin O’Connell Rumors Have Rubbed Some Folks the Wrong Way
Minnesota lost the game to the Lions, and its season ended eight days later in the playoffs against the Los Angeles Rams.
And according to KFAN’s Paul Allen, the “Voice of the Vikings,” the whole thing seemed a bit suspicious. Allen went on the offensive this week, questioning the how, why, and timing of Glazer’s report.
Allen said, “The most respected NFL insiders — they get so many rumors, and they get put on so many leads, that they probably go with less than 5%. So, they’re really good at parsing their way through them to determine, alright, what’s the agenda here?”
No matter the origin of the trade rumors, the Vikings are severely unlikely to trade O’Connell, and in fact, will likely extend his contract in the coming weeks for the long haul.
“It’s the timing. I’m just going to lay it out like this. If that rumor came from Kevin O’Connell’s agent, and I don’t even know what his agent’s name is, shame on him. And shame on everybody involved with that rumor, if it came from there. Because it deflects attention from a game that day to secure a one-seed for a 14-win team,” Allen continued.
Minnesota has the NFL’s sixth-best win percentage since O’Connell took over in 2022.
Allen claimed the rumor could’ve represented a major distraction before the team’s final two games. He also said, “I’m just starting to try to figure out, I’m not going to pursue this, but like… how? Why? Why at that time? And if it came from anybody associated with Kevin O’Connell’s camp, I’m just going to say it as bluntly as I can. Shame on you. That’s selfish and it lacks self-awareness, and it jettisons the totality of a team, and it takes it from ‘thy’ to ‘I’.”
Glazer said that Sunday multiple teams were interested in trading for O’Connell, even if the young skipper isn’t for sale. Coach trades are rare in the business, although the Denver Broncos acquired Sean Payton from the New Orleans Saints in 2023 for a considerable haul, including a 1st-Round draft pick.
“There’s one candidate out there that’s going to surprise you all, that no one knows is on lists, and he is. There are multiple teams that actually are considering trying to trade for Kevin O’Connell,” Glazer said.
Minnesota’s leadership is elated with O’Connell, and his contract expires at the end of the 2025 regular season — a year from now. This offseason is the natural time to discuss an extension and lock him down for the long haul. Nothing is “late” about the current situation.
“Maybe the Vikings don’t let it happen. But also Kevin O’Connell kind of has the card saying, ‘Hey, listen, I’m not going to re-sign there so you might as well get something for me’. Now, I don’t know because, obviously, I don’t think Kevin knows about this right now. But there are multiple teams who have them on that board to say, ‘Let’s at least try and see if we can trade,” Glazer added.
Unsurprisingly, reporters asked O’Connell about the rumors on Monday following his team’s loss at Detroit. He appeared aware of the Glazer report and replied, “I’m not really interested in addressing the rumors or the speculation. What I can tell you is I love this team. I love everything about this organization. This is where I want to be. This is where I want to keep coaching and leading.”
Moreover, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio quoted an anonymous Vikings source after the Glazer reporting and wrote, “We love Kevin, and there will be no trade.”
The takeaway? Sports agents are a shrewd breed, and if Allen’s suspicions are correct, the timing of faux O’Connell trade rumors was terrible, if not deadly.
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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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