Outrageous Trade Idea for Vikings Is Out There
Trading the head coach — that’s the latest and greatest theory for the Minnesota Vikings.
Outrageous Trade Idea for Vikings Is Out There
The Vikings have the NFL’s sixth-best record on Kevin O’Connell’s watch, and evidently, other teams want a piece of that success.
Before Minnesota’s Week 18 showdown in Detroit, FOX Sports‘ Jay Glazer said on FOX Sunday that multiple teams were interested in trading for O’Connell, even if the young skipper isn’t for sale. Coach trades are rare in the NFL, 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.
Why is O’Connell the object of trade affection? Well, 2025 is scheduled to be the final year of his contract, and some clubs apparently believe he can be obtained via trade. In reality, the Vikings’ front office will likely extend O’Connell in the coming weeks for several years, and that’ll be that.
“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.
Head coach-needy teams, however, owe it to themselves to do the diligence and at least inquire about O’Connell’s would-be asking price.
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.”
Incidentally, Pro Football Talk‘s Mike Florio quoted an anonymous Vikings source in the wake of the Glazer reporting and wrote, “We love Kevin, and there will be no trade.”
The Vikings, like other NFL teams, are frequently the source of wacky trade rumors. Ten months ago, some in the NFL media believed Justin Jefferson would be traded because Kirk Cousins left the team, working with the theory that Jefferson would only play with Cousins — one of the dumbest takes in franchise history.
The O’Connell trade rumors aren’t far off per realism.
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 Vikings 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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