Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. Aside from the quarterback situation which is like talking about building a house and saying other than the ground it stands on the Vikings will also consider the wants/needs/system of Brian Flores as they look for improvement on defense. Cousins is entering the final year of his contract, and NFL Networks Tom Pelissero reported earlier in the week that he would not anticipate the type of one-year, fully-guaranteed extensions that the 35-year-old has signed in the past. OConnell continued, Adam is one of those leaders that I speak of. Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Top 10 Justin Jefferson plays | 2022 season, Vikings WR Justin Jefferson named AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah compares team building through draft vs. through free agency, trades. Furthermore, the Rams' 1,186 passing yards in the 2021 playoffs were the most in NFL history,surpassing the 2011 New York Giants (1,144).O'Connell helped Kupp (478) and Beckham, Jr., (288) post a combined 766 receiving yards in the playoffs, the most be any wide receiver duo this postseason. "As crazy as this sounds, leading the league in yards and receptions, I think he and I have just scratched the surface of where we want to go as an offense, particularly with him as our premier receiver," O'Connell said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. Kevin O'Connell had some interesting things to say about the direction the Minnesota Vikings want to go as they look ahead to the 2023 NFL season. [29]. 2023 Minnesota Vikings Football, LLC , All Rights Reserved. Despite entering the league three years after Stafford, Cousins is also going into his age-34 season. At the end of the day Wednesday, the Vikings head coach left the building with one of the easier media sessions youll ever run across in the NFL. While OConnell answered gracefully about his colleague, it was a reminder that they didnt finish the year with a deep playoff run. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. Thats the byproduct of trying to do things the way we do. In basketball, he was a two-year letterman, and a teammate of Arizona standout Chase Budinger. Kevin played the game at all levels, which gives him a unique connection to players, and he is highly respected throughout the league. O'Connell is the latest in Sean McVay's coaching tree to land a head coaching job, following the likes of Matt LaFleur with the Green Bay Packers and Zac Taylor with the Bengals. 2023 Minnesota Vikings Football, LLC , All Rights Reserved. Login Here. We haven't shown our ability to come in year-in, year-out and do those things. Conversely, when the Vikings ran for zero or negative yards on first down, something they did more than any other team in the league aside from the Jaguars, they would then be fighting uphill. The idea. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. With Robert Quinn, Cameron Jordan and Cameron Heyward still on the board, the Vikings decided to get their guy Christian Ponder. The Minnesota Vikings named Kevin O'Connell as the 10th head coach in franchise history on Feb. 16, 2022. The Minnesota Vikings announced Wednesday that Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell has been hired as the 10th head coach in franchise history. Certainly the facilities would have gotten an A+ last year but its hard to imagine they would have ranked No. I think that's where we want to go eventually," Adofo-Mensah continued. So have expectations going forward, until "someday" can become "the day.". Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell spoke at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine on Wednesday, March 1, and he shed a little bit of light on what the team's goals are for the offseason. Coming off a Super Bowl LVI victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, O'Connell joins the Vikings after serving as the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams the past two seasons. Already Subscribed? Coming off a Super Bowl LVI victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, O'Connell. Prior to his one year in San Francisco, O'Connell was the quarterbacks coach in Cleveland during the 2015 season, assisting QB Josh McCown to becoming the only player in team history to throw for 300 or more passing yards in three consecutive games. New Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said he is "excited to coach" quarterback Kirk Cousins in 2022 and is "anticipating" him being a part of the team's plans. The Vikings need to clear $23 million of 2023 salary to get under the cap. ", "As I spent time with Kevin during the interview process, it became immediately clear he will be a great partner in building this football team for long-term success," said Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Eagan, Minn. (February 15, 2022) The Minnesota Vikings have named Kevin O'Connell as the 10th head coach in franchise history. What was initially pitched as a competitive rebuild and trying to win on the margins morphed into setting an NFL record for the most one-score wins in a season (11-0) thanks to players who were led to become situational masters at key moments of close games. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. Try a week on us. An NFLPA survey showed the Vikings as the best team for players in the league, bringing evidence that the changes they promised worked out, gave the Vikings the highest grade of any team in the NFL. However, there is no mistaking the reality. Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson is "fired up" to work with Washington's new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com. It's supposed to hurt. O'Connell is the son of a former FBI agent. Craig Peters. Kevin William O'Connell (born May 25, 1985), nicknamed "KOC",[1] is an American football coach and former player who is the head coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). Adofo-Mensah was hired on Jan. 26, 2022 and O'Connell was named head coach on Feb. 16 after the Rams beat the Bengals in the Super Bowl. His teammates voted him as a captain for what he means not only to our organization but the Twin Cities. The offensive coordinator from the 2022 Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams, Kevin O'Connell, is finalizing his head coaching contract with the Minnesota Vikings. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. He is a genuinely positive person who will help create a high-energy internal environment.". Harrison Smith stats (2021): 73% completion % allowed, 98.7 QB rating allowed Already a projected $14 million over the 2022 NFL salary cap, the Vikings need to clear a ton of room. Jefferson's 4,825 career yards are the most in NFL history for a receiver in the first three years of a career. Finding a suitable compromise appears to be the current strategy. Browse our online application for MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, EPL, or MLS player contracts, salaries, transactions, and more. He was 11-of-21 for 147 yards, and completed the pass which resulted in the Kai's only score of the game.[6]. In addition to helping QB Jared Goff to his fourth consecutive of at least 3,800 passing yards and 20 touchdowns in 2020, O'Connell prepared QB John Wolford for a win-and-in game against the Cardinals in Week 17, helping him pass for 231 yards and rush for 56 more in his NFL debut, while leading the Rams to a 18-7 victory and a playoff berth. Also, by disabling these cookies you will also disable banner ads served by Google Adsense on this website.. For more information about these items, view our complete privacy policy.Read More. Quarterbacks are never far from OConnells mind. How long does he meet that threshold? OConnell also referenced fair compensation for his players at the NFL Combine, perhaps a nod to Thielens current contract and how it fits within Minnesotas free-agent navigability. Partnered with the USA TODAY Sports Media Group|Powered by, Signed a 1 year contract with Miami (MIA), Resigned a 2 year $1.25 million contract with New York (NYJ), Traded to NYJ from Detroit for a conditional draft pick, Signed a 4 year $2.46 million contract with New England (NE), Drafted by New England (NE): Round 3 (#94 overall). The Vikings were unable to officially announce that they were hiring O'Connell until after Los Angeles' playoff run came to an end. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. Were in a position to do a lot of different things regardless of field position, score of the game, personnel groupings.. Heck, it was even over 70 degrees outside. How OConnell and the front office maneuver through these personnel decisions to counteract the way defenses have played them could well become a key story in 2023. Since the start of 2019, Thielen ranks fifth in the NFL in touchdown receptions (36), trailing only Davante Adams (48), Mike Evans (41), Tyreek Hill (38), and Travis Kelce (37). [14] He was later released again on July 29, 2011.[15]. Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett spoke with media members on Friday for the first time since his arrest for public intoxication in late January. Hes the epitome of a hometown hero, universally loved, and the type of player who should retire with the Vikings. When Favre finally declined, the Vikings were in another spot of desperation to draft a quarterback in 2011. Following his All-Pro wideout's 1,809-yard, 128-catch, eight-touchdown campaign, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell believes Justin Jefferson can soar even higher. O'Connell, 36, was a member of the 49ers coaching staff (special projects) in 2016 and overlapped that season with new Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. By COURTNEY CRONIN. He isnt on the same tier as Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow, but is good enough to hold down the position until they can find that player. These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 season! Asked about the Vikings long-term future at that position, OConnell said he surveys the landscape of the position each year out of habit. O'Connell was asked today if Donatell will be back and didn't . Thielen will turn 33 this summer and incur a $19.9 million cap hit against the Vikings salary cap. You do hope it was a perfect world where you can have everybody and have everybody finish their careers where they should and feel great about it, but its just so hard to do and still build for the future the way the rules are set up, OConnell said. Kupp's wide receiver Triple Crown in 2021, which he won after leading the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and touchdowns (16), joined him with WR Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers, 1990), WR Sterling Sharpe (Green Bay Packers, 1992) and WR Steve Smith (Carolina Panthers, 2005) as the only players since the 1970 merger to achieve this feat. When you have the receiver that leads the league in yards and receptions and have three other guys with 60-plus, you feel really strongly about that group, and I still think that theres places to go where we can build upon it even more, OConnell mentioned about Justin Jefferson and his wide receiving corps. Culpeppers injury took the Vikings into another dark period where they took a quarterback because they needed one. He spent his childhood in Carlsbad, California, where he attended La Costa Canyon High School. A necessary condition is having a starter-level quarterback, Adofo-Mensah began. But there was a sobering line of questioning from a New York reporter pertaining to Giants head coach Brian Daboll. O'Connell played quarterback at San Diego State University, and was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on the futures of Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. Justin Jeffersons superstar turn. I just watch the way he carries himself every single day and week. But in Kevin OConnells case on Wednesday, he was able to beam about the Vikings culture after an NFL Players Association survey showed proof that he made good on the cultural promises he made at the last NFL Combine. Its a path that could eventually lead to another extension for Cousins, but the Vikings are doing their diligence to find Mr. If the Vikings parted ways with Thielen via outright release or trade, theyd face three plausible options for 2023s WR2: For now, OConnell views Thielen as an unabashed team leader, but the front office must determine the fair compensation for his cap hit. Brad Childress urged Minnesota to draft Tarvaris Jackson upon his arrival in the 2006, and then recruited Brett Favre as an act of desperation to lead the Vikings to the NFC Championship Game. "I came from a business where your job is to not be emotional and if you make emotional decisions, you typically make bad decisions. "But as we reflect, I think it's important to understand, be honest with our evaluations, understand taking a look at all the little things no detail is too small in how we're trying to improve as a team, improve as a coaching staff, and most importantly, improve myself.
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