The Minnesota Vikings have quarterback questions, nearly the entirety of their secondary with a foot out the door and problems in the trenches — but their first order of business is to strike a deal with head coach Kevin O’Connell.
O’Connell has already left his impression, becoming the first Vikings head coach to lead multiple 13-win seasons — and he did so in only three years. He’s proven to not only excel at the X’s and O’s of offense and quarterback counseling but has also instilled a highly-regarded winning culture in Minnesota.
O’Connell deserves an extension, but given the lackluster end to the Vikings’ 2024 season, there are questions about whether the organization will bend to all of O’Connell’s demands in a new contract.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported on January 14 that there’s “tension” between the two camps entering contract talks.
“There’s tension in the relationship, stemming largely from the fact that he didn’t get an extension after his second season. Now that he’s one year away from free agency, he could be willing to let it ride, if necessary, and hit the market,” Florio wrote. “Here’s the question. Will the two sides agree on consequences of a two-game tailspin? If the Vikings overplay their hand, O’Connell can always say, ‘Screw it.’ And then he can voluntarily coach as a lame duck and make himself available to anyone/everyone in 2026.”
Florio noted that contract talks may be about more than just money, but team control.
“Beyond money, O’Connell could be looking for more say in roster construction. For better alignment with the General Manager. For a situation where he’ll have more of what he needs to put together a team that can both get to the playoffs and win when the postseason arrives.”
Kevin O’Connell Takes Issue With Vikings Roster After Season-Ending Loss
O’Connell maintained a positive mentality at the press podium following a season-ending loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He defended Sam Darnold and took responsibility for his own mistakes.
Still searching for a playoff win after two first-round exits, the Vikings coach did express some frustrations with a pain point of the franchise — the offensive line.
Asked about improving the protection of the offensive front in the upcoming offseason after Minnesota allowed an NFL record nine sacks against the Rams, O’Connell made his case for a serious rebuild of the offensive interior.
“There’s no question. We’ve got to find a way to solidify the interior of the pocket starting first and foremost,” O’Connell said. “There could be a 1,000 excuses made, but for me, it’s the foundation of the interior of the pocket that we’re going to have to take a long look at. I thought those guys battled. That’s a good, young, fast athletic front. Really when you look at it over the course of the entirety of the season we lost to two football teams and both of them were able to do some similar things against us via pressure, via some four down pressure, non-pressure and non-blitz pressure.”
Vikings O-Line Decision Fueled by Potential Disconnect With Coaches, Front Office
As the Vikings navigated a “competitive rebuild” of the roster that included eating over $70 million in dead cap this season, certain position groups did not see needed investment.
Minnesota trotted out 2022 second-round pick Ed Ingram for a third consecutive season despite Ingram allowing the most pressures at his position since entering the league.
A move was finally made to Band-Aid the interior with veteran Dalton Risner, however, in back-to-back seasons, that move was made midseason. Risner was injured to begin the year, but the Vikings still stood by Ingram for nearly a month after Risner told local media he was “100% healthy” and ready to play.
Ingram was the last bastion of a 2022 draft class that has had little impact on the team’s success. The decision to continue to start him could have come from a need for the front office to save face for their first draft class.
A long-neglected position group in Minnesota due to limited cap space, the offensive interior is due for an overhaul. The front office should be fully capable of meeting O’Connell’s plea this offseason with over $70 million to spend.
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Vikings Facing ‘Tension’ With Coach Kevin O’Connell, Insider Says