6:52pm: Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has been informed by a source inside the Vikings’ building plainly stating an O’Connell trade will not take place. That update may not dissuade interest from potential suitors, but it points further in the expected direction of a long-term Minnesota tenure being on tap for O’Connell.
12:33pm: The consensus seems to be that Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel are the top two candidates in this year’s HC cycle. But if he were available, Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell would be at the top of many wishlists, and Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reports that multiple teams are considering trying to trade for the Coach of the Year candidate (video link).
O’Connell’s contract with Minnesota expires at the end of the 2025 season. While a report last month indicated that the team is expected to discuss an extension with him, those talks had not commenced as of the time of the report, and Glazer says nothing has changed in that regard over the last 30 days. Because the 39-year-old is entering a theoretical lame duck campaign, rival clubs apparently feel it is at least worth making an overture to the Vikes to gauge trade interest.
Needless to say, it would be borderline shocking if Minnesota did not retain O’Connell. Over his first three seasons as the Vikes’ HC, O’Connell has posted a 34-16 record, including a 14-2 mark this season (and, if the team wins today’s regular season finale against the Lions, it will have captured the NFC’s No. 1 seed). He has also been lauded for the proficiency of his offensive system, which has coaxed quality performances out of Kirk Cousins and an out-of-the-blue Pro Bowl showing from Sam Darnold – who was signed merely as a bridge option last offseason – in 2024.
Indeed, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com says ownership is thrilled with O’Connell’s performance, and while the third-year coach is due for a hefty raise, the only way he is not with the Vikings in 2025 is if he for some reason wants to leave (and there is no indication that’s the case). Likewise, despite the lack of urgency to get a deal done before now, Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune reports that ownership has every intention of talking contract with O’Connell and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah whenever the team’s season draws to a close.
Perhaps, as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com posits, Glazer’s report stemmed from O’Connell’s camp as a way to increase the coach’s leverage in impending negotiations. Regardless, barring a major turn of events, it seems that teams in need of a new HC will need to turn their attention elsewhere.
Haha, that’s a good one.
Epitome of click bait news…yet here we are commenting lol
So he can get traded to the Jets or maybe the browns or better yet how about the raiders or any other team with crappy ownership and QB play.
“Borderline” shocking? What would qualify as actually shocking?
haha, I was going to say the same thing. Forget how rare coach trades are, trading KOC would be pure insanity.
The only thing more ‘shocking’ I could think of is if they actually traded him.. today….
Sometimes I think these write ups are just for the authors own laughter. This just seems idiotic.
It’s soooo Rory.
Right now Sam Robinson is looking for a link between Kevin O’Connell and Tommy Brady.
How juicy would that article be — Tom Brady could be using his high level of influence inside the Raiders organization to possibly trade for HC Kevin O’Connell to run the Raiders sidelines.
For what, 5 1st round picks? Better guarantee him $230 million too
As long as the Vikings get Ben Johnson away from Detroit and the price is 4 top 10 pick first rounders or 8 back half 1st round picks sure……..lol.
They are NOT trading KO.
Lmao
If true, owner might want to find a new management team.
Oven been a Viking fan since Burns and I strongly feel they need to not only retain Kevin but Darnold too.
Barring an epic meltdown in the playoffs from Darnold I can almost guarantee they will retain him and keep JJ as his backup or flip JJ for a pick.
I don’t disagree and it’s the logical solution. Although they may feel that JJ can carry on and would prefer paying him his friendly team building rookie contract over a Darnold payday.
Instead of picking up the money that his clients leave on the dresser, Jay Glazer gets paid for pushing this nonsense by getting first dibs on those sweet insider tips. Everyone stays happy.
Probably the same teams that had pipe dreams of landing Shanahan.
huh? since when did teams trade for coaches?
It doesn’t happen often (I believe 8 times since 1970) but it does happen. The most recent example is Sean Payton to the Broncos. The Broncos sent a 1st and 2nd round draft pick to the Saints.
It usually happens, like with Payton, when a coach decides to step down as the head coach from a team and then decides he wants to coach again but he’s still under contract with his original team. In Paytons case he stepped down as HC of the Saints and decided he wanted to coach again but he still had two years left on his contract with the Saints so they still had the rights to him.
In 2002 Jon Gruden had one year left on his contract and was not expected to re-sign with Big Al and the Raiders. The owners of the Bucs, Malcolm Glazer, was apparently very persistent in his pursuit of a trade for Gruden with Al. As the story goes, Al Davis finally had enough and throughout a price too high and stupid for considering. (there was a slamming of the phone) Malcolm and the Glazer family eagerly accepted. The cost for Jon Gruden was two 1st and two 2nd with $8 Million.
In 2002 the highest paid player was Donovan McNabb at $15million, and the highest average per year on a contract was Drew Bledsoe at $12 Million a year.
In comparison, the Raiders made a “Blockbuster” trade with Chicago sending them Khalil Mack. It’s amazing to think that the Raiders got more for Jon Gruden in 2002 than Khalil Mack in 2020.
Keys could offer Rodgers. :p
Jets
Well…if they threw in Jefferson….maybe even i would be interested….although how is this even a story….big game tonight..
Playoffs are coming and we are talking about this
I’m sure the Vikings would be interested say 5 first round picks 5 2nd round picks 7 3rd round picks the best 3 skill position players and the owners first 2 children will get that done
Not if the children are named Jack and Brick