None of that is to say OConnell is not evaluating quarterbacks in this years draft. Kevin is currently the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and his salary is $84 million for three years. Minnesota Vikings' Kevin O'Connell 'excited to coach' Kirk Cousins in 2022 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. Those are things we got to answer. Beyond the Xs and Os, everyone we spoke with throughout this search process spoke highly of Kevin's ability to motivate players, coaches and staff. The third strategy is the one the Vikings currently employ, and it may be the option with the least room for error. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising. Vikings Coaching Staff | Minnesota Vikings - vikings.com Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson put on a show Saturday at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, making history during his highly anticipated workout. None of that means anything for what we do moving forward if we dont grow and evolve and change in a good capacity, OConnell said. 2. However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. I am committed to working tirelessly to bring them a Super Bowl championship.". Follow Alec on Twitter @alec_lewis. Ive been very honest about that. . Login Here. New Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell sees 'very talented roster' in 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. 2023 Minnesota Vikings Football, LLC , All Rights Reserved. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. Following his release, the New York Jets re-signed O'Connell to a two-year deal. O'Connell's NFL coaching career began in 2015; he held various assistant coaching roles on the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins, and Los Angeles Rams (where he won Super Bowl LVI, as offensive coordinator, in the 20212022 season). [25][26], On February 16, 2022, just three days after his Super Bowl LVI victory, O'Connell was hired by the Minnesota Vikings as the 10th head coach in their franchise history. Adofo-Mensah shared an anecdote from after the game when he was walking the concourse behind a group of fans. The day the Vikings introduced defensive coordinator Brian Flores, OConnell mentioned the thorough self-evaluation process that took place when the season ended. Culpeppers injury took the Vikings into another dark period where they took a quarterback because they needed one. Linebacker Eric Kendricks referred to a fear-based culture in a conference call after the former HC and GM were let go and players acknowledged meeting with ownership in which they asked for improvements in the overall environment. View photos of new Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell in photos from his time with the Rams. The Minnesota Vikings announced Wednesday that Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell has been hired as the 10th head coach in franchise history. Some would take this as a sign the Vikings are ready to move on. This website is not directly or indirectly affiliated, associated, or connected in any way to Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League or the National Hockey League. Craig Peters. 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. Kevin O'Connell believes Justin Jefferson has 'just scratched the He and Adofo-Mensah greet each prospect when they enter the room both to establish their culture of care and provide other Vikings staffers in the room a glimpse at the players size. But the biggest question on everybodys mind was what they were going to do with Kirk Cousins. Eagan, Minn. (February 15, 2022) - The Minnesota Vikings have named Kevin O'Connell as the 10th head coach in franchise history. The home runs and long ones are great, but as a play caller, Id love to be second-and-5. Sure, there were unsightly losses along the way, including a couple of regular-season defeats to Philadelphia and Dallas teams that each won 12 plus in the regular season and have advanced to the Divisional Round of the NFC Playoffs. Theres a reason why I feel so strongly about Kirk, OConnell said. Along the way, personal relationships grew. [17] He was released on August 12, 2012. He was also born in Minnesota. I know this guy next to me and myself will lead and push and drive, because we don't want to feel this way, this early, ever again. Meetings with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski have helped OConnell in this regard. "It's so easy from my background to sit in front of a spreadsheet and make decisions and talk about things. 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." Quarterbacks are never far from OConnells mind. But Kevin OConnells comments later in the week made it sound like something bigger was in the works. The Minnesota Vikings have an intriguing decision on Adam Thielens future with the franchise, a team that has employed him since 2013. Is there a chance to add somebody maybe with different skill sets? Vikings fans should be excited for the future of this team under Kevin's direction. Minnesota Vikings: Kevin O'Connell's culture is now quantifiable 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! And when I think about all that went into it, from a coaching staff standpoint, our players, our leadership of our core leaders and foundation of such a great leadership group that I was able to have in my first year as a head coach in the National Football League, I truly feel very fortunate and blessed," O'Connell added. O'Connell was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft and played quarterback at San Diego State University. Cousins is attached to a fully guaranteed $35MM base salary. [But you] sit in exit meetings with players, and it becomes personal at that point," Adofo-Mensah said. How do you go forward building it from here? Spielman tried his hand at it, scouting Carson Strong and praising Malik Willis response to an overrated chant one year ago. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. While they can feel reinforced by the results of the foundation laid in their first year, they also know a multitude of decisions await and all teams change from year to year. They were together in Washington and grew their connection this season as the veteran QB led eight game-winning drives, won the division for the first time since arriving in Minnesota and put together one of his best games in the playoffs vs. the Giants. I think we laid a foundation for where we want to go. Here are five things to know. 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. The assessments of inherited players were made a year ago through film study and advanced metrics. O'Connell is the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, so he can't officially become the Vikings' new head coach until after the Super Bowl. On Tuesday, Adofo-Mensah explained that Cousins camp wants certainty if he is to sign a new deal, while the Vikings seek flexibility. Were going to continue to take a look at whats the best route to go moving forward in that room, as are all the other rooms. The personnel department continued to be on the lookout for players who became available after their release by other teams, and the coaching staff usually helped integrate the acquired player quickly, whether it was Za'Darius Smith in Week 1 or T.J. Hockenson in Week 9. Adofo-Mensah, who previously worked on Wall Street, was asked to assess where the Vikings stock is. 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. This time of year tends to be a difficult time when youre talking about players futures and how they affect the greater picture of our team, and those conversations are ongoing, he said. Also, by disabling these cookies you will also disable banner ads served by Google Adsense on this website.. For more information about these items, view our complete privacy policy.Read More. How do you build the rest of the team? Adofo-Mensah asked. "I came from a business where your job is to not be emotional and if you make emotional decisions, you typically make bad decisions. NFL.com keeps you up to date with all of the latest league news from around the NFL. The Vikings left the Zimmer-Spielman era in desperate need of improved morale. Whatever the plan, timing is everything for the Vikings. Adofo-Mensah had to explain how the Vikings, a team in salary cap hell, were going to shed salary while building off the teams first 13-win season since 2017. Despite entering the league three years after Stafford, Cousins is also going into his age-34 season. I dont know. Aside from the quarterback situation which is like talking about building a house and saying other than the ground it stands on the Vikings will also consider the wants/needs/system of Brian Flores as they look for improvement on defense. These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. He is a genuinely positive person who will help create a high-energy internal environment.". While the survey is the ultimate feather in OConnells cap in terms of retaining players on long-term contracts and signing free agents, hes aware that not everyone is going to be able to return and the team doesn't have oodles of cap space to spend this offseason. Michigan cornerback DJ Turner II is the early leader for fastest player at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine after posting a time of 4.26 seconds in the 40-yard dash on Friday. 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. Player development at every position is very, very important, OConnell said. I just watch the way he carries himself every single day and week. ", "We've shown that we have a culture and an ability to do those things at a really high level," Adofo-Mensah said. ". 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. I believe in him as a player.. Finding a suitable compromise appears to be the current strategy. 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 . Stafford set the single-season team record for passing yards (4,886) and tied Kurt Warner from his 1999 MVP season for the most passing touchdowns in a season with 41, while also winning his first playoff game in his 13th season in the NFL. 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 the 2012 draft. I believe in him as a player and was really proud of the way he played this year but we always have to be evaluating, he said. The Vikings officially. Kevin O'Connell signed a 1 year, - contract with the San Diego Chargers, including an average annual salary of -. Those are all questions we got to answer. ", "Kevin is an impressive and respected leader who has been a part of some explosive offensive schemes," said Vikings Owner/Chairman Zygi Wilf. And I also want my opportunity to show that I can play at a high level. Kevin O'Connell believes Vikings are really good and have an 'elite' QB 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) [22] After the 201920 regular season, O'Connell was not retained by the incoming new head coach, Ron Rivera. "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? "And then, sure enough, she ended up in the same place. Senior Editor. What he means to our league, how he carries himself, how he works every day. As we did on Tuesday with Vikings general manager Kwesi. 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.