The One Thing Kevin O’Connell Must Do to Avoid the Hot Seat
Kevin O’Connell is heading into his fifth season as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. With the general manager who came with him back in 2022 already fired this year, the pressure is on O’Connell to produce a good season in 2026.
Minnesota fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah back in January and made the unusual step of going through the start of free agency and the draft with an acting GM (Rob Brzezinski).
Minnesota’s Offense Holds the Key to O’Connell’s Long-Term Security
It seems to leave O’Connell with a lot of say in what happens in Minnesota this offseason, which brings extra pressure to deliver. Any faults with the 2026 Vikings will have the finger of blame pointed directly at O’Connell.
O’Connell must deliver a good season in 2026 for the Vikings, but what constitutes a good season? The dream scenario is that everything works out perfectly and the Vikings hoist the Lombardi Trophy at SoFi Stadium next February. We aren’t in a Super Bowl-or-bust situation here, though; that would be unrealistic during an offseason dominated by trying to fix salary cap problems and a very quiet free agency in terms of additions. So what does O’Connell need to do to avoid the hot seat?
Get the Offense Firing Again
It’s not a great look for an offense-minded head coach – who is the offensive playcaller – when his team becomes reliant on the defense. That’s what happened last season, and with Brian Flores continuing to push his case for a return to the HC ranks, another season like the last one will make it easy to think the Vikings have the wrong man in charge.
The QB trio of J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer didn’t give O’Connell good enough play from the QB position, and the offense suffered because of it. The Vikings’ solution at the QB position has been the big story of the offseason. We finally got our answer when the Arizona Cardinals officially released Kyler Murray and promptly signed a one-year deal at the veteran minimum to join the Minnesota Vikings.
Murray has had some injury problems, and his short stature is often questioned, but there is no doubt that he has bags of talent as both a passer and a runner. His athleticism and escapability will add a new wrinkle to O’Connell’s offense, and importantly, there is a whole offseason to work out how best to use it. The Vikings offense just wasn’t good enough in 2025, and it simply has to be better this year.
Return to the Playoffs and Win
O’Connell’s four seasons in Minnesota have seen the team alternate between the playoffs and the outside looking in. A continuation of that pattern would see the Vikings back in the playoffs in 2026. That’s what the Vikings need to see as a minimum, but they also need to do something O’Connell hasn’t managed yet. Win a playoff game.
In two trips to the playoffs, the Vikings have lost in the wild-card round both times under O’Connell’s leadership. A bitterly disappointing home loss to the New York Giants in 2022 and a crushing defeat on the road at the Los Angeles Rams in 2024. Proving he can find a way to win in the big games is a must for O’Connell at this point in his coaching career.
The Obstacles Facing a Good Vikings Season
After freeing up huge amounts of salary cap space last year, Adofo-Mensah’s big FA splurge left Minnesota’s cap situation as bad as he found it when he got fired. Two of last year’s big FA signings, Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, have been released to save money, while Ryan Kelly has retired. Jalen Nailor and Ryan Wright have signed for other teams since becoming free agents, but that is as far as the losses go. T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones both took pay cuts to stay, and talk of a Jonathan Greenard trade has yet to materialise.
James Pierre is the other newcomer to the roster, adding depth at cornerback. There are some notable gaps on the dwpth chart that need to be filled, most notably at C, WR, DT, LB, and S. There are still players on the FA market that can step into those roles but it feels like the Vikings are going to need a very good draft to make this team truly competitive in what should once again be a tough NFC North.
The good news is the Vikings have four picks over the first two days of the draft. Giving them plenty of chances to get it right, something that didn’t happen enough under Adofo-Mensah. If O’Connell is to avoid the hot seat this year, the draft is going to be essential.
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