Minnesota Tim discusses the recent contract extension of Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell, addressing media speculation and the implications for the team's future. He emphasizes the Vikings' commitment to retaining top talent and reflects on O'Connell's coaching performance, the team's past season, and the expectations moving forward as they build a competitive roster.
Welcome into the show today. This is a Minnesota Vikings podcast by Minnesota Tim And while you're here, while I have your immediate attention, hit that subscribe button right there right in that corner screen.
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Here's the tweet by Ian Rapaport.
The Vikings and Coach of the Year candidates Kevin O'Connell have agreed to terms on a blockbuster multi year extension that keeps him in Minnesota for years to come. Per Me and Tom Pelisarro, the future is bright for the Vikings and O'Connell is a big part of it. All the speculation, all the reports that the Minnesota Vikings might not be able to retain their head coach Kevin O'Connell was never true, and I said that.
A week ago.
The Minnesota Vikings were never going to let Kevin O'Connell walk out that door. Because here's the thing about the Minnesota Vikings. The Minnesota Vikings take care of their people. They try to take care of Kirk Cousins. He didn't want any part of it. He bet on himself. They took care of Justin Jefferson. They are taking care of Kevin O'Connell. The Minnesota Vikings do not let the elite people walk out those doors without a contract extension. And another contract extension is coming for their general manager very very soon. So Jake Lazer coming with the report about multiple teams being interested in Kevin O'Connell, that report doesn't bother me because that one was true.
Of course, teams are going to be interested in Kevin O'Connell.
The part that bothers me about that report is that it's an obvious report.
There's nothing.
Unknown about a team that needs to fill a head coaching vacancy wanting one of the best head coaches in the NFL. If you ask those organizations, they would say the same thing about Andy Reid. We would love to have Andy Reid on our team. Is Andy Reid leaving the Chiefs?
No? Is Kevin O'Connell leaving the Vikings. No.
So the report would be valid about any elite head coach in the NFL. But he just placed Kevin O'Connell's name on it, and somehow it becomes more interesting.
It's garbage. Of course, it's going.
To be something that other teams are interested in, but it's not something that the Minnesota Vikings were ever interested in. And my favorite Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Earlier in the day, he released an article on his website with the title, the clock keeps ticking on a Kevin O'Connell extension and potential trade destinations will inevitable. You be evaporating without a new deal. He'll be a free agent after the twenty twenty five season. Less than five hours later, this article was posted at eleven o three. Kevin O'Connell and the Minnesota Vikings came to terms on a contract extension, and it was reported by the big boys in the NFL. Here's the problem with the speculation articles. Mike Florio is an NBC voice. He has this massive website that so many people flock to, and a lot of his speculation.
Is source based.
Like last offseason, he was a part of the rigade that talked about the Minnesota Vikings being interested or looking into the idea of trading Justin Jefferson, him along with Charlie Walters of the Pioneer Press, when again that was never ever true. It was true that other teams were interested in Justin Jefferson, just like it was true that other teams were interested in trading for Kevin O'Connell. But there's a massive difference between other teams being interested in Kevin O'Connell or Justin Jefferson, then the Minnesota Vikings being interested in trading either of those two centerpieces of the organization. So I see this stuff and it's a straight bs. Because the NFL offseason is a long off season, and it's full of speculation. It's full of rumors that don't even happen. But because it's so long, a lot of these things come up, and a lot of people throw out thirst traps to get people to flock to their site, get people to flock to their opinions, and this is one of those things, because there's a difference between saying that you know there could be tension there, or it's my belief that there could be tension there. But because you're florio and you have a lot of sources and you've been doing this for so long, it comes across as.
Completely out of nowhere. Well that's not true.
It comes across as something that has credit, credence. It comes across as something that has credibility, and then it doesn't.
It never did.
So the Minnesota Vikings were never gonna trade Kevin O'Connell. And here's some statements by Kevin O'Connell and the Vikings organization. I'll read it along to you guys can follow along with me. Here's what it says. It's an absolute honor to continue leading the Minnesota Vikings. Holding this prestigious position is something and never taken for granted. And I want to express my sincere gratitude to the Will family for their unwavering belief in what we are building together. I also want to thank Leah and our incredible children that love and support allow me to perform this job at a high level. And none of this would be possible without the dedication of our coaches, players and support staff. I can't wait to get back to work with all of them as we continue to build upon the high standard we set and the positive environment we've created. To Vikings fans, you are the best in the NFL. There's no greater joy than leading our team in front of you each Sunday and experiencing the home field advantage you create. I'm thrilled for the years ahead and will continue to give you everything I have as we pursue a Super Bowl for the state of Minnesota. Nice statement, nothing surprising about it. I will be interested to see what his contract numbers come in at, because Ben Johnson got thirteen million dollars a year to be the head coach of the Chicago Bears, and it appears that Kevin O'Connell would get more than that, and some of the big boys in the NFL get more. Andy Reid gets more, Sean Payne got more. They're like, you're looking at like eighteen twenty million.
Dollars a year.
And the thing about coaches in the NFL is that you can pay them as much money as you want, because it doesn't affect the salary cap, So give out that money, give out that change. Minnesota Vikings owner Mark Wilf made this statement.
Kevin is exactly.
Who we believed him to be when we named him as our head coach and vative play caller, an excellent communicator and a strong leader who motivates and connects with his players. He has helped establish a culture that positions us for sustained success, and he will continue to set the standard we need as we pursue a championship for the Vikings. So another nice statement by a Minnesota Vikings owner, which I'm sure he was not the one to write that statement. I'm sure the other PR guy read that statement for him.
But good things.
And and I'm thinking about Kevin O'Connell's run with the Vikings. His first year thirteen and four, his last season fourteen and three, his mid season seven and ten, and.
He's been a special coach for the Minnesota Vikings.
And so many people want to point out that he's zero and two in the playoffs.
Thirteen and four, record oh and one, fourteen and three, record oh and one.
The Minnesota Vikings roster still has so many imperfections. Two three years ago, the Vike Minnesota Vikings defense stunck ed Donald Tell was terrible. The Vikings defense was getting cooked by Daniel Jones. There's no other way around that. Last year, the Vikings sustained injuries that were impossible to overcome. And this season fourteen and three with Sam Donald. And I've got to be careful because when you have a record like fourteen and three, you set the standard and you changed the expectations to being a team that could win the Super Bowl. But it's still true that at the end of the day, he did it with Sam Donald. And when you look at the playoff performance from Donald versus the Rams, and Donald's performance against the Lions of the week, prior receivers are running wide open. Donald's holding out of the ball too long. He's seeing ghosts.
He is.
Not locked in is adrenaline. His nerves were impossible to defeat. Donald was not the same Donald that he was mid season. And how can you put that on Kevin O'Connell's play calling. He took a roster that was expected over under to win six and a half games this year, he more than doubled that with fourteen wins with a guy that's on his fourth team in seven seasons, So I'm a big fan believer of the team changes expectations and changes the standards to winning a playoff game or potentially being a Super Bowl contender. But at the end of the day, it was Sam Donald, and before the season started, the Minnesota Vikings were not Super Bowl contenders, far from it, and to be in the position that they were at the end of the season was incredible.
So the season at some point in.
Time was a success because they were not expected to be in the scenario that they were in, and losing to the Rams was disappointing, I'm sure for everyone in that Vikings organization because fourteen and three became meaningless.
But at the end of.
The day, they put themselves in a position to have a chance to win playoff football games with Sam Donald, with Aaron Jones, with guys that nobody in the NFL wanted. The Viking signed Aaron Jones to a one year deal. The Vikings signed Sam Donald to.
A one year deal. They did this with guys that were seeking deals.
Packers let him walk, nine ers let Donald walk. No one wanted to design him to a one year to ten million dollar deal. It is not the Vikings. Aaron Jones. Nobody wanted to decide him to a multi year deal, not even the Vikings, and they're fourteen and three. The Kevin o'coddam test starts now with the cap space, with JJ McCarthy stepping into a QB one role, his coaching abilities can be fully assessed. Now you can put the roster together that you want. You can sign interior officsite linemen, you can bring in defensive guys. You still have your first overall pick. Now, Kevin O'Connell and the Minnesota vaki's organization can be fully ripped or congratulated because they can assemble the roster that they want.
There's no more excuses.
You have the ability to sign guys, to draft guys that you want in that organization.
There's no more all we got to wait for our quarterback.
There's no more Oh, just next year when we get off an off season cap space.
That doesn't apply anymore.
Now that you sign a multi year deal, you've got your quarterback in place.
You can sign whoever, draft whoever you want.
Now the judgment can come fully on you, and there's no stopping the fire chance if you don't perform, to the level that they feel like you should perform to. So those are my takes today. Thank you for watching, Thank you for making this podcast a part of your day. I hope you felt that this was honest, because I felt it was honest. Appreciate you going on this podcast and journey with me.