Popular Website Claims “Tension” between Kevin O’Connell and Vikings
No less than a day and a half into the offseason, one popular website is running a theory suggesting disgruntlement between Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and the team’s ownership.
Popular Website Claims “Tension” between Kevin O’Connell and Vikings
That’s ProFootballTalk.com, and Mike Florio, relying on a Week 18 report from Jay Glazer that claimed other NFL teams could trade for O’Connell, mentioned the strife.
“The Week 18 Sunday Splash! report from Jay Glazer that multiple teams are interested in trading for O’Connell wasn’t idle talk. There’s tension in the relationship, stemming largely from the fact that he didn’t get an extension after his second season. Now that he’s one year away from free agency, he could be willing to let it ride, if necessary, and hit the market,” Florio wrote Wednesday.
The Los Angeles Rams bounced O’Connell’s Vikings from the playoffs on Monday night.
“Yes, it rarely happens. Sure, there’s much more than a whiff of collusion when it comes to the NFL and coaches. There’s no salary cap, but there’s also no salary floor. And there’s no union. The 32 teams can engage in subtle, or otherwise, efforts to keep the market down, with the only downside being the wafer thin chance that a coach will risk his career by suing the league and its teams for antitrust violations,” Florio continued.
O’Connell has one year left on his contract — the 2025 season — so ongoing extension talks are not late by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, now and the next couple of months are prime territory for the Vikings’ brass to lock in O’Connell for the long haul.
Florio also explained a reason behind the alleged beef: “Beyond money, O’Connell could be looking for more say in roster construction. For better alignment with the General Manager. For a situation where he’ll have more of what he needs to put together a team that can both get to the playoffs and win when the postseason arrives. If there’s an impasse, the Vikings will have to choose between one more year and no compensation on the back end and listening to the teams that might be calling about O’Connell.”
Reporters asked O’Connell about the trade rumors nine days ago 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.”
Until Florio’s tension theory, no disharmony between O’Connell and the Vikings’ upper management had ever hit the light of day. The opposite usually prevailed: how much O’Connell loves his job and the Vikings love O’Connell.
But apparently, the tension talker will twist in the rumor mill until an extension is finalized.
The Vikings have the NFL’s sixth-best winning percentage on O’Connell’s watch (.608).
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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