Aug 12, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; A view of a Minnesota Vikings helmet at Paul Brown Stadium. The Vikings won 17-16. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports.
Before the Minnesota Vikings played their most important regular season game in team history, FOX Sports reported that a trade could be on the horizon.
And it didn’t involve a player, like most trades usually do. Instead, Jay Glazer claimed on FOX Sunday that other NFL teams could target head coach Kevin O’Connell via trade.
Glazer said 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 resign 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.
Predictably, 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.”
Minnesota has the league’s sixth-best win-loss record since O’Connell took over the franchise in 2022. He has the team in the postseason this week, so any mention of “coach trades” is just a fake controversy.
Regarding the Vikings, national media always finds a way to stir the pot. Justin Jefferson had one year left on his contract (this season) heading into the 2024 offseason, and when the phenom playmaker didn’t sign a gargantuan deal until June, the NFL rumor mill pumped out trade destinations for Jefferson.
Too, when Kirk Cousins’ future was up in the air last February, NFL pundits claimed Jefferson may not want to stay in Minnesota without Cousins, which was one the most absurd and bizarre theories in franchise history.
“Trading the head coach” is merely the latest installment in ill-fated purple speculation.
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.