Purple Rumor Mill: Trading Kevin O’Connell, Josh McCown, Jets GM Search
VikingsTerritory’s Purple Rumor Mill is a two-day chronicle each week. All the week’s Vikings rumors are lassoed and plopped in two spots — articles on Saturday and Sunday — for review. Today is the January 11th edition.
Purple Rumor Mill: Trading Kevin O’Connell, Josh McCown, Jets GM Search
Remember — rumors are rumors. What you read on weekends in these pieces is what the world is talking about pertaining to the purple team, not necessarily items that will come to fruition.
Here’s the first batch of the week. All past rumors can be read here.
Rumor: NFL teams will seek Kevin O’Connell via trade.
A couple of hours 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.
Glazer added, “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.”
Teams evidently want a piece of the Vikings’ skipper, even if he isn’t available for trade.
Rumor: Vikings QB coach Josh McCown could be promoted, taking a job with the New York Jets.
The New York Jets requested permission to interview Minnesota’s defensive coordinator, Brian Flores — amid a very broad search for a new head coach — but that franchise also wants a piece of Vikings quarterbacks coach Josh McCown.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted Monday, “Jets have requested head coaching interviews with Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and QB coach Josh McCown, per sources.”
McCown is fresh off the steam of helping quarterback Sam Darnold totally reclaim his career in Minnesota, and New York evidently wants to snoop around his interest in becoming a head coach — or perhaps make him the offensive coordinator under the eventual hire. Stay tuned.
Fans should expect McCown to leave sooner rather than later.
Rumor: The Jets, too, are interested in Vikings executive Ryan Grigson for their open general manager job.
The Jets will chat with Ryan Grigson, Minnesota’s senior vice president of player personnel, presumably about a general manager gig.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweeted Monday, “The New York Jets have requested to speak to Vikings senior VP of player personnel Ryan Grigson, per source.”
Grigson arrived in the Twin Cities at the dawn of the Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell era (2022) and has served as senior vice president of player personnel since. Some Vikings fans have “blamed” Grigson, in part, for some of the poor draft choices since 2022, but little evidence corroborates the theory.
Former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman is assisting New York’s general manager search as a consultant.
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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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