Kevin O’Connell on contract extension: great dialogue with owners this week

At the end of the regular season, the Vikings and head coach Kevin O’Connell both dejected the notion that they would consider a trade that would lead to O’Connell coaching elsewhere in 2025, but both sides have yet to determine whether their relationship will continue beyond next season.

O’Connell is entering the final year of his contract with the team in 2022 and is 34-17 over his first three seasons in Minnesota. The team lost both playoff games it played under O’Connell’s watch, but his overall performance seems to make him someone the Vikings would like to lock down for a while.

During a news conference Thursday, O’Connell said he loves being Minnesota’s head coach and answered “yes” when asked if he would like to sign an extension this offseason. O’Connell went on to say that he would not share details of the conversations he had with the team.

“I had an excellent dialogue with our property this week and reflection at the end of the season,” O’Connell said. “Beyond that, I would kind of prefer to keep those discussions internal.”

O’Connell reiterated his desire to keep things in-house when asked about the timetable he had in mind for getting a deal done. He was also asked if there were any “tensions” that needed to be resolved before a deal was reached and said he had a “great relationship” with owners who show such support for the team .