Even as other quarterbacks such as Willis, Desmond Ridder, and Sam Howell were there in the latest rounds of the draft, the Vikings didnt pull the trigger. One thing he knows is that no matter how many As he got in a survey or wins he posted as a first-year coach, that doesnt mean they can do it all again the same way and get the same results. O'Connell has an older sister, Kelly, who is an attorney. 2. Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. The Vikings were unable to officially announce that they were hiring O'Connell until after Los Angeles' playoff run came to an end. "It's so easy from my background to sit in front of a spreadsheet and make decisions and talk about things. [2] At La Costa Canyon, O'Connell lettered in both football and basketball. The Minnesota Vikings named Kevin O'Connell as the 10th head coach in franchise history on Feb. 16, 2022. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott's cap hit might be rising in 2023, but owner Jerry Jones believes his quarterback has the ability to bridge the gap in any talent the roster might lose because of it. "He has a tremendous football IQ and is passionate about preparing, developing and communicating with his players. KARE 11 Sports Director. All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com. Anchored by T Andrew Whitworth, the oldest offensive lineman in the NFL, the Rams offensive line only allowed 56 sacks in the two years O'Connell was in Los Angeles, which was good for the seventh-fewest among NFL clubs. OConnell is well aware. And none of the endings feature everyone who was around last year. Senior Editor. Kupp's 145 receptions and 1,947 receiving yards both ranked as the second-highest single-season totals in NFL history, trailing only Michael Thomas's 149 receptions in 2019 and Calvin Johnson's 1,964 receiving yards in 2012. NFL+ gives you the freedom to watch LIVE out-of-market preseason games, LIVE local and primetime regular season and postseason games on your phone or tablet, the best NFL programming on-demand, and MORE! That will motivate us to lead this organization to the place we want to go. 2023 Minnesota Vikings Football, LLC , All Rights Reserved. As we use the process of free agency and the draft to really take a look at how to evolve and fit what we want to do.. Kevin O'Connell, fresh off a Super Bowl victory as the Los Angeles Rams' offensive coordinator, was introduced as the Minnesota Vikings next head coach on Thursday, and the big takeaway from . O'Connell rushed for a touchdown in the 2008 preseason against the New York Giants in the fourth quarter, in a game the Patriots eventually lost 1914. But in between 16-point wins against the Packers in Week 1 and Bears in Week 18 were plentiful memorable moments during a wild ride. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. 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. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Maybe its not even for any one particular year.. Jefferson's 4,825 career yards are the most in NFL history for a receiver in the first three years of a career. The survey of more than 1,300 players that looked at numerous aspects of an organization from facilities to treatment of families to training staff gave the Vikings the highest grade of any team in the NFL. One thing I know, [Cousins] is good enough. The day the Vikings introduced defensive coordinator Brian Flores, OConnell mentioned the thorough self-evaluation process that took place when the season ended. Kevin O'Connell: Vikings have 'some real decisions' ahead to get under salary cap By Alec Lewis Mar 1, 2023 14 INDIANAPOLIS Following his news conference Wednesday afternoon at the NFL. So have expectations going forward, until "someday" can become "the day.". The more I can learn about details and particulars of our current situation, previous situations and what it looks like moving forward, OConnell said, the more my conversations can not only come from an accurate place of where we are but where we hope to get to.. 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. The Vikings announced their agreement in principle with Cousins on a one-year contract extension Sunday the latest high-leverage deal that Cousins has successfully bet on himself with and the clearest sign yet that the Vikings aren . How do you build the rest of the team? Adofo-Mensah asked. 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. Therefore, with free agency 11 days away, the Vikings and Thielen are firmly in the see what happens phase of the offseason, described by Thielen. [10], He was named a team captain for the September 20 game against the New England Patriots.[11]. Vikings Players Close Out Season with Locker Room Clean Out. 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. [24] In O'Connell's second season with the Rams, their offense ranked 2nd best in receiving touchdowns (41), 5th highest in total yards (4,893), 8th best in total touchdowns (63), and the team won Super Bowl LVI (defeating the Cincinnati Bengals, 2320). "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. [22] After the 201920 regular season, O'Connell was not retained by the incoming new head coach, Ron Rivera. [12] Following his departure, O'Connell found that he had a torn labrum in his throwing arm, an injury he sustained during the preseason. How long does he meet that threshold? O'Connell was signed by the San Diego Chargers on July 29, 2012, to serve as an emergency back-up in the Chargers' practices with Charlie Whitehurst suffering an injury and Kyle Boller announcing his retirement from the league. OConnell did note that safety Lewis Cine was ahead of schedule in his rehab from a severe leg injury suffered in London last season and that Cine has been at TCO Performance Center making regular stop-ins to his office. Player development at every position is very, very important, OConnell said. When you visit any web site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. If not, they could ride Cousins another year and try their luck to acquire their guy in 2024. EAGAN, Minn. Eleven months and a day after Kwesi Adofo-Mensah helped introduce Kevin O'Connell from a temporary stage constructed in Twin . Its even stronger now. Alec Lewis is a staff writer covering the Minnesota Vikings for The Athletic. During the 2018 season, O'Connell was tasked with getting three different quarterbacks (Josh Johnson, Colt McCoy and Mark Sanchez) up to speed following a devastating injury to starting QB Alex Smith. Vikings fans should be excited for the future of this team under Kevin's direction. Justin Jeffersons superstar turn. 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. "Reflecting on what we were able to accomplish as a football team an NFC North title and 13 wins it goes beyond that. As we did on Tuesday with Vikings general manager Kwesi. He recently coached Stafford to a Super Bowl win, helping him post a 4-0 record in the postseason and 108.3 passer rating, which trailed only QB Josh Allen and QB Patrick Mahomes. View photos of new Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell in photos from his time with the Rams. On Tuesday, Adofo-Mensah explained that Cousins camp wants certainty if he is to sign a new deal, while the Vikings seek flexibility. Were in a position to do a lot of different things regardless of field position, score of the game, personnel groupings.. Try a week on us. The Patriots gave no explanation for releasing O'Connell, who was in competition with veteran quarterback Andrew Walter, signed after his release from the Oakland Raiders, and undrafted free agent rookie Brian Hoyer of Michigan State. In his first season as the Vikings' coach, O'Connell has compiled a 6-1 record and the team has a 3.5-game lead in the NFC North entering Week 9. Whatever the plan, timing is everything for the Vikings. At the same time, proud of what they've accomplished this year and look forward to the first day of the offseason program, when we get those guys back in here.". O'Connell also played for the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, and San Diego Chargers before retiring in 2012. The Vikings officially. At first, Adofo-Mensah makes it sound like Cousins is the NFLs version of microwaving Chinese leftovers at midnight. EAGAN, Minn. Eleven months and a day after Kwesi Adofo-Mensah helped introduce Kevin O'Connell from a temporary stage constructed in Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center's Indoor Practice Facility, the men sat together at a table on a small riser in the Media Center. Its still something I think about often, OConnell said of the loss to the Giants. O'Connell won his first game as head coach against the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 of the 2022 season by a score of 237. As he reviewed the way defenses matched up against his team, OConnell noticed a trend. The process was complicated by the lack of free agency and offseason movement due to the NFLs player lockout. Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson is "fired up" to work with Washington's new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. Head coach Kevin O'Connell of the Minnesota Vikings speaks to the media during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 1, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. [20], On January 20, 2017, O'Connell was hired as the Washington Redskins' quarterbacks coach, working under head coach Jay Gruden. Wide receiver Adam Thielens cap number and age (32) present another complicated decision, and OConnell is mindful of the many factors. [21] In 2019, under interim head coach Bill Callahan, O'Connell was promoted to offensive coordinator. "Now, we've got to all the last phase of that is the accountability to each other, to make sure that that standard is championship worthy, and we're putting ourselves in that conversation to a man and to a woman in this building that we're looking at each other and asking ourselves the question, 'With everything we do, is it championship worthy? He grew up in Birmingham, Ala., and has written for Yahoo, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Kansas City Star, among many other places. Follow us for breaking news and latest updates. Pelissero noted that Brown, who interviewed for the Miami Dolphins head coaching position, is considered a "rising assistant" and is a candidate to replace O'Connell in Los Angeles. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Fired up to watch these guys this fall @b_petty14 @DWatford5 @EverettGolson @Connor_Cook03 @tannerlee12 @bharrisqb1 pic.twitter.com/2TNR1YJlHt The only way theyre going to improve is through hard work and understanding that accountability factor to what their goals are, OConnell explained. "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. Weve got some real decisions to talk through and things to work through, OConnell said. 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. Right. Certainly the facilities would have gotten an A+ last year but its hard to imagine they would have ranked No. The direct work together began in April when Minnesota could start its offseason workout program and was followed by Organized Team Activities before a summer break that was followed by training camp, he preseason, regular season and postseason. The obvious answer? In addition to impacting the culture within the building through an emphasis on building connectivity across the roster, the Vikings installed O'Connell's offense with Offensive Coordinator Wes Phillips, a defensive system led by Defensive Coordinator Ed Donatell and changed their special teams under first-year coordinator Matt Daniels. Really excited about Lewis and his mental growth through how he handled the adversity of that injury, OConnell said. McCown also broke the single-game passing record in 2015, throwing for 457 yards against the Baltimore Ravens. He's McVay's second coordinator in two years to move on, joiningformer Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, who is now head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. No cards were shown when OConnell was asked about Flores and the cornerback position as it pertains to the draft but it would appear that Flores will be looking for players with flexibility, whether thats in terms of position or skill set. Jan 19, 2023 at 10:00 AM. ". "We have to make sure we do it in an order that we can do it in given all the other decisions we have to make.". View images from the Vikings locker room at TCO Performance Center on Monday as players cleaned out their lockers at the end of the 2022-23 season. Its a path that could eventually lead to another extension for Cousins, but the Vikings are doing their diligence to find Mr. Just scratching the surface with #18 pic.twitter.com/MpWlPV7MoN, And then, ultimately, OConnell said, youve got to ask: How do we use that information to our advantage moving forward?. Under the guidance of O'Connell, Rams QB Matthew Stafford and WR Cooper Kupp both had career years in 2021. Sometimes how you have to mold and adapt how you play while still staying true to your football philosophy at its core and its not always easy to do, but hes demonstrated that hes been very successful doing it time and time again.. The more I can educate myself, learning about the details and particulars of our current situation, our previous situation, and obviously what it looks like moving forward, the more my conversations can be not only from an accurate place of where we are at this moment but where we hope to get to, OConnell said. Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson put on a show Saturday at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, making history during his highly anticipated workout. The Vikings head coach compared all of the moving parts to puzzle pieces but its more like a choose-your-own-adventure book because each choice with Player X impacts Player Y and the combination of all of the decisions takes you to a different endpoint. A former NFL quarterback who was a career backup, O'Connell has been the Rams' offensive coordinator for the past two seasons. A significant part of the positive culture was OConnell and Cousins working together in lockstep. The coach has made it a priority to educate himself on the particulars of the teams cap constraints. He is a genuinely positive person who will help create a high-energy internal environment.". The New England Patriots selected O'Connell with their fourth pick (94th overall) in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Browse our online application for MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, EPL, or MLS player contracts, salaries, transactions, and more. OConnell continued, Adam is one of those leaders that I speak of. Adofo-Mensah admitted his elevation to GM brought him more exposure to the human elements than when he was advancing through the research-and-development departments with the 49ers and Browns. The 34-year-old has put up good statistics over the years, including 33 TDs and seven interceptions last season, but he's never delivered any sustained postseason success. O'Connell was claimed off waivers by the Detroit Lions on September 1, 2009. On February 17, 2015, it was announced that O'Connell was named to the position of quarterbacks coach of the Cleveland Browns for the 2015 NFL season. Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell in Photos, Kevin OConnell Brings Energy, Innovation as Vikings New Head Coach, 5 Things to Know About New Vikings Head Coach Kevin OConnell. O'Connell and the Rams are coming off a victory in Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. Part of the reason for this is that the Vikings were still recovering from the Herschel Walker trade. "This is a franchise with a deep history and a tremendous fan base. 2023 Minnesota Vikings Football, LLC , All Rights Reserved. "But I wouldn't say that we're that established, 'there' team because we haven't shown it yet. You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 season! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Photo Credit: Kirby Lee (USA TODAY Sports). "That's what led to a historic number of one-score games and so that's probably been the hardest job is adjusting to those things. The riser was lower than the previous stage, but the team they've led for about a year has been elevated from an 8-9 squad to one that won 13 games for the third time within a Vikings season. 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. We laugh. . I think theres a conversation to be had to really see what that looks like: playing time and roles and responsibilities., "I feel better than I ever have about our chances moving forward." On Wednesday, OConnell said hes hoping that their shared experience in 2022 will help both sides satisfy their needs. He played one season for the Patriots behind QB Matt Cassel following a season-ending injury to QB Tom Brady. Looking back on Vikings history, they have stumbled trying to find a franchise quarterback. O'Connell was claimed off waivers by the Jets on September 4, 2011.[16]. He also writes for Bring Me The News and The Viking Age and hosts The Homer Horn Podcast. I think theres a conversation to be had to really see what that looks like: playing time and roles and responsibilities.. Were having conversations with our players, their representation, and ultimately how all of those things shake out will be done in a way where we just want to make sure we stand by what we believe in as an organization.. Right comes along. Scouting Combine live updates Top 150 free agents Beat writer . But there was a sobering line of questioning from a New York reporter pertaining to Giants head coach Brian Daboll. (OConnell is 6-foot-5, so his frame provides a solid comparison.). The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. 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. Under O'Connell, Rams quarterbacks have thrown for 1,517 passing yards (third in NFL), 11 touchdowns (fourth in NFL) and a 106.4 passer rating in playoff games (second in NFL). To provide the premier place to go to work and improve both personally and collectively as a team in our league means a lot to us, OConnell said. [27][28] O'Connell's Vikings hiring reunited him with quarterback Kirk Cousins, whom O'Connell had coached in 2017 (Cousins' final year with the Washington Redskins). Since then, there have been postseason appearances after the 2012 (loss in Wild Card), 2015 (loss in Wild Card), 2017 (loss in NFC Championship), 2019 (loss in Divisional) and 2022 (loss in Wild Card) seasons. The Vikings Will Benefit From Their Revamped Team Culture, Theres One Ideal Way To Deal With Danielle Hunters Contract. It's supposed to sting.' Players cited the tight-knit nature of the locker room and their confidence during late-game situations as a result of the buildings updated vibes under OConnell. We haven't shown our ability to come in year-in, year-out and do those things. OConnell knows safety Harrison Smith has done much of the same. ", "Making sure that the standard of knowing we've got the culture, knowing we've got the right things going in this building," O'Connell said. [23], On January 16, 2020, O'Connell was hired by the Los Angeles Rams as offensive coordinator. Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell and his wife Leah welcomed their fourth child to the family on Friday night, . 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 Vikings won the NFC North for the first time since 2017, which was good enough for the NFC's third seed, but were defeated by the New York Giants in the Wild Card round by a final score of 3124. The offensive line's sack rate, 4.5%, was the fifth-lowest in the NFL over the past two years. While OConnell answered gracefully about his colleague, it was a reminder that they didnt finish the year with a deep playoff run. Coming off a Super Bowl LVI victory over the Cincinnati. In July 2017, Kirk Cousins became the first quarterback to play under the franchise tag for the second consecutive year. Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett spoke with media members on Friday for the first time since his arrest for public intoxication in late January. The Minnesota Vikings have made the hiring of Kevin O'Connell as their new head coach official by sharing the news on social media. Is there a chance to add somebody maybe with different skill sets? Kevin is currently the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and his salary is $84 million for three years. The victories and records set on the way to winning the NFC North for the first time since 2017 enabled Minnesota to host a playoff game for the first time in five years, but that excitement ended abruptly Sunday when the Giants topped the Vikings 31-24. O'Connell led the Vikings to a 134 record on the season, tying Matt LaFleur and Jim Harbaugh for the second-most wins for a rookie head coach in NFL history. In football, as a junior, he passed for 980 yards and seven touchdowns. So, ultimately, we didn't accomplish the goals we wanted to accomplish, and I always want to be respectful of that. KSTPs Darren Wolfson reported that the Vikings met with Florida manI meanquarterback Anthony Richardson at the scouting combine and OConnell is keen on Kentucky quarterback Will Levis despite his Orlovskian food takes. Top Salaries Free Agents Extensions Tools Best Values Transactions Chargers Kevin O'Connell Embed This Chargers, QB Age: 37-208d Exp: Years Drafted: Round 3 (#94 overall), 2008 College: San Diego State Agent (s): - More Chargers - Contract Details Transactions Statistics Transactions Sep 4 2011 Claimed off waivers by New York (NYJ) NFL.com keeps you up to date with all of the latest league news from around the NFL. O'Connell and the Rams are coming. O'Connell oversaw the production of three quarterbacks in 2019, specifically rookie QB Dwayne Haskins, Jr. Once Haskins, Jr., became the full-time starter in Week 9, he passed for 1,225 yards, seven touchdowns, three interceptions and an 85.5 passer rating. 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. However, neither seem like a good option now. O'Connell's father, Bill, was a longtime FBI agent, and his mother, Suzanne, is a teacher. And trading him post June 1 would save the team $35 million of that against their cap. He made his NFL debut on September 21, 2008, in the fourth quarter against the Miami Dolphins, throwing his first four career passes and completing three. That was somebody that was as important as anybody for me to bring to this organization I didnt know there was going to be a survey, it didnt matter to me, but I knew what that would look like with Tyler, Kwesi and myself and how we build things.. Before his NFL career ended in 2012, O'Connell spent time with the Miami Dolphins, a second-stint with the Jets and the San Diego Chargers. The Minnesota Vikings announced Wednesday that Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell has been hired as the 10th head coach in franchise history. Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell fielded questions from the media on Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Kupp, who was named 2021 NFL Offensive Player of the Year by The Associated Press and Super Bowl LVI MVP, had one of the best receiving seasons in NFL history, leading the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and receiving touchdowns (16), earning AP First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. Ive spent a lot of time with Rob [Brzezinski] and Kwesi [Adofo-Mensah], and well continue to do that in anticipation of being at a certain place by the league year like we need to be and then, How do we go forward building it from there?. I'm sure a lot of fans will be going through that right now, and that hurts to hear, I can't lie, but I understand where that's coming from.

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