Earlier than the Minnesota Vikings suffered a 27-9 wild-card playoff loss on the Los Angeles Rams this previous Monday, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell turned the topic of some fascinating commerce rumors along with his present contract set to run out after the 2025 season.
O’Connell spoke with reporters on Thursday and left little doubt about his intentions for the longer term.
“I do,” O’Connell mentioned about wanting to place pen to paper on an extension this offseason, as shared by Kevin Seifert of ESPN. “I do. I’ve had nice dialogue with our possession this week and reflection because the season got here to an finish. Something past that, I would like to type of hold these discussions inside.”
O’Connell signed a four-year contract when he accepted the Minnesota job in February 2022 and has since gone 34-17 throughout three common seasons. Nevertheless, his Vikings suffered an upset 31-24 loss to the New York Giants within the wild-card spherical of the postseason match again in January 2023. Extra just lately, a 14-2 Minnesota facet fell to the Detroit Lions in a Week 18 showdown that decided the champions of the NFC North and the No. 1 seed for the playoffs again on Jan. 5.
The Vikings had been then dominated by the Rams largely as a result of quarterback Sam Darnold endured a nightmare outing that included shedding a postseason-record 82 yards on 9 sacks.
A report from earlier this week claimed that there was some “stress within the relationship” between O’Connell and Vikings possession. He indicated on Thursday that relationship is simply superb.
“What I might say is I like being the pinnacle coach of the Minnesota Vikings,” O’Connell added throughout his feedback, “and with that comes the truth that I like our possession. I’ve an awesome relationship with our possession and really feel so lucky, not solely simply the way in which they help us and consider in us, but additionally the influence they’ve on our gamers, on our locker room and finally the place all of us wish to go collectively. Really feel very, very nice about that.”
Rumors about groups such because the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears probably making a blockbuster commerce for a head coach comparable to O’Connell might understandably make some Minnesota followers nervous, nevertheless it feels like he is fairly settled along with his present employer. Whereas Vikings possession probably desires O’Connell to information the membership to greater than only a playoff berth subsequent season, logic suggests the franchise ought to lock such a profitable coach down by way of an earned extension sooner quite than later.
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