The Minnesota Vikings agreed to a multi-year contract extension with head coach Kevin O’Connell on Tuesday. The deal comes as no surprise, considering the Vikings made the playoffs in two of O’Connell’s three seasons as head coach.
The team did not disclose terms of the deal.
“Kevin is exactly who we thought he was when we named him head coach: an innovative player, an excellent communicator and a strong leader who motivates and connects with his players,” said the owner and president of the Vikings, Mark Wilf.
Only the Chiefs, Eagles, Bills, Lions and Ravens have won more games than the Vikings since O’Connell became head coach in 2022. Over the past two decades, the only coaches to win at a higher rate through their first 51 games are Matt LaFleur, Jim Harbaugh, Sean McVay and Bruce Arians; O’Connell is tied with the sixth other coach at 34-17.
Additionally, O’Connell, 39, joined George Seifert as just the second head coach since at least 1950 to have multiple 13-win seasons over a three-year span with different starting quarterbacks. Kirk Cousins played well for him in 2022 and Sam Darnold threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns in ’24.
Throughout last season, in particular, praise poured in from all corners of the league. Peyton Manning spoke about O’Connell on Kevin Clark’s podcast. Notable agent Drew Rosenhaus highlighted O’Connell during a conversation with Pat McAfee. Greg Olsen said on the Vikings-Falcons broadcast: “If you’re starting a franchise and you need a great coach, a game caller, a QB whisperer, he could be the guy.”
Why extend O’Connell now?
Some people questioned whether or not this deal would go through. A few weeks ago, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports mentioned O’Connell as a potential surprise candidate. O’Connell responded to the comments by saying he was not interested in responding to rumors or speculation. Glazer defended his account, adding that he chose his words carefully: teams were interested in trading for O’Connell, unlike Minnesota which was interested in trading O’Connell.
The topic of a potential trade emerged due to O’Connell’s contract. He signed a four-year contract with the Vikings after accepting the job. NFL teams generally refrain from allowing their coaches to enter the final season of their initial deal without signing an extension. Other teams, like the Miami Dolphins last offseason with Mike McDaniel, extend their coaches well before their contracts expire.
Minnesota, conversely, decided to watch the 2024 season unfold before making a decision. In August, co-owner Mark Wilf told reporters the team would return to those discussions after the season. Winning as impressively as the Vikings did throughout the season created leverage for O’Connell. In fact, toward the end of the season, the owners and O’Connell’s agent, Trace Armstrong of Athletes First, were scheduled to meet. The chat was delayed for reasons unrelated to the topic, but is expected to resume once the season ends.
With the offseason busy, what’s next?
Following the extension, Vikings ownership has already contacted general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah about a new contract, according to a team source. The Vikings struggled mightily in the draft, but Adofo-Mensah eased the team’s salary cap hit and showed a willingness to operate skillfully in free agency.
Required reading
(Photo: Daniel Bartel / Imagn Images)
