INDIANAPOLIS -- Justin Jefferson led the NFL in receiving yards and receptions in 2022 while averaging 106.4 yards per game. The Vikings are coming off a 13-win season, but also a disappointing first-round exit in the playoffs. Just scratching the surface with #18 pic.twitter.com/MpWlPV7MoN, And then, ultimately, OConnell said, youve got to ask: How do we use that information to our advantage moving forward?. Kevin William O'Connell (born May 25, 1985), nicknamed "KOC",[1] is an American football coach and former player who is the head coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). O'Connell has an older sister, Kelly, who is an attorney. Adofo-Mensah, who previously worked on Wall Street, was asked to assess where the Vikings stock is. Were going to continue to look at whats the best route to go moving forward (with Thielen), OConnell said. Florida's Anthony Richardson, one of the draft's most intriguing QB prospects, told reporters on Friday that in high school he modeled his game after two notable passers: Cam Newton and Lamar Jackson. He noted that hes always going to evaluate all the quarterbacks out of habit and that he finds himself often looking at evaluations from years past, even when someone is coming available who came out in the draft a long time ago. Login Here.
Kevin O'Connell Contract Breakdowns, Salary Cap Figures, Salaries He isnt on the same tier as Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow, but is good enough to hold down the position until they can find that player. KARE 11 Sports Director.
Kevin O'Connell Contract Breakdowns, Salary Cap Figures, Salaries An NFLPA survey showed the Vikings as the best team for players in the league, bringing evidence that the changes they promised worked out, gave the Vikings the highest grade of any team in the NFL. Theres a reason why I feel so strongly about Kirk, OConnell said. O'Connell graduated from San Diego State University in December 2007 with a degree in political science. The Dallas Cowboys will place the franchise tag on running back Tony Pollard if the two sides cannot reach a long-term deal before March 7's deadline, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Friday, per sources. O'Connell joins the Vikings after serving as the offensive coordinator for the Los A.
The Vikings Are Still Trying To Find Mr. Right At QB "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? Its just not possible when sitting $24 million over the cap (per OverTheCap.com) to bring all the veterans back. At the end of the day Wednesday, the Vikings head coach left the building with one of the easier media sessions youll ever run across in the NFL. At the 2008 NFL Combine, O'Connell ran the 40-yard dash in 4.61 seconds; only University of San Diego quarterback Josh Johnson had a faster time. OConnell is well aware. But Adofo-Mensah gave his own review about his starting quarterback. EAGAN, Minn. Eleven months and a day after Kwesi Adofo-Mensah helped introduce Kevin O'Connell from a temporary stage constructed in Twin .
Kevin O'Connell - Minnesota Vikings When you visit any web site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. OConnell did note that safety Lewis Cine was ahead of schedule in his rehab from a severe leg injury suffered in London last season and that Cine has been at TCO Performance Center making regular stop-ins to his office. As a player, O'Connell was drafted in the third round (94th pick) of the 2008 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots out of San Diego State. He recently coached Stafford to a Super Bowl win, helping him post a 4-0 record in the postseason and 108.3 passer rating, which trailed only QB Josh Allen and QB Patrick Mahomes. Adofo-Mensah had to explain how the Vikings, a team in salary cap hell, were going to shed salary while building off the team's first 13-win season since 2017. . Minnesota Vikings' Kevin O'Connell 'excited to coach' Kirk Cousins in 2022. 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. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies. 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. A former NFL quarterback who was a career backup, O'Connell has been the Rams' offensive coordinator for the past two seasons. The home runs and long ones are great, but as a play caller, Id love to be second-and-5. Following his All-Pro wideout's 1,809-yard, 128-catch, eight-touchdown campaign, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell believes Justin Jefferson can soar even higher.
Who is Leah O'Connell, Wife of the Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O [4][5] At SDSU, where he was a four-year team captain, he started 21 games, the sixth-most among SDSU quarterbacks, and ranked first in school history in career rushing yards and second in career rushing touchdowns among quarterbacks; in 2007 he led the team in rushing yards.
Kevin O'Connell believes Vikings are really good and have an 'elite' QB NFL.com keeps you up to date with all of the latest league news from around the NFL. 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. 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. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, The Sopranos, and The Doors (the band).
[17] He was released on August 12, 2012. As he reviewed the way defenses matched up against his team, OConnell noticed a trend. O'Connell oversaw the production of three quarterbacks in 2019, specifically rookie QB Dwayne Haskins, Jr. Once Haskins, Jr., became the full-time starter in Week 9, he passed for 1,225 yards, seven touchdowns, three interceptions and an 85.5 passer rating. Sep 9 2010 Resigned a 2 year $1.25 million contract with New York (NYJ) Aug 31 2010 Waived by New York (NYJ) Sep 6 2009 Traded to NYJ from Detroit for a conditional draft pick. Thielen notched 716 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns in 2022. We always have to be evaluating, OConnell said. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. Conversely, when the Vikings ran for zero or negative yards on first down, something they did more than any other team in the league aside from the Jaguars, they would then be fighting uphill. Anchored by T Andrew Whitworth, the oldest offensive lineman in the NFL, the Rams offensive line only allowed 56 sacks in the two years O'Connell was in Los Angeles, which was good for the seventh-fewest among NFL clubs. 5. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. Vikings Players Close Out Season with Locker Room Clean Out. He also writes for Bring Me The News and The Viking Age and hosts The Homer Horn Podcast. "I feel like that foundation's in place. 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. But even if they do like mayo in their coffee, it seems like OConnell is bringing a thorough evaluation process to find their guy. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. If they want a quarterback in this draft, they seem willing to find a way to get them. [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. How do you go forward building it from here?
Vikings' offseason roster decisions will be difficult, but team leaders Brad Childress urged Minnesota to draft Tarvaris Jackson upon his arrival in the 2006, and then recruited Brett Favre as an act of desperation to lead the Vikings to the NFC Championship Game. "Reflecting on what we were able to accomplish as a football team an NFC North title and 13 wins it goes beyond that. If O'Connell's staff likes a prospect like USC's Caleb Williams . He spent his childhood in Carlsbad, California, where he attended La Costa Canyon High School. Sometimes how you have to mold and adapt how you play while still staying true to your football philosophy at its core and its not always easy to do, but hes demonstrated that hes been very successful doing it time and time again.. The Minnesota Vikings finalized their hiring of head coach Kevin O'Connell on Wednesday, completing a sharp offseason shift in direction by turning over the team to the 36-year-old. 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. The Vikings Will Benefit From Their Revamped Team Culture, Theres One Ideal Way To Deal With Danielle Hunters Contract. On February 17, 2015, it was announced that O'Connell was named to the position of quarterbacks coach of the Cleveland Browns for the 2015 NFL season. Thielen joined the Vikings a decade ago as an undrafted special teamer and clawed his way up the depth chart to WR1 by the start of 2016. This year brings a different scenario. Here are five things to know. Cousins is attached to a fully guaranteed $35MM base salary. That ultimately led the Vikings to Cousins. He had been placed on the injured reserve list. If you tell me Im second-and-5, here we go. Spielman hand-picked Ponder to be his quarterback after watching a game against North Carolina and a couple of practices at the Senior Bowl. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. For what its worth, SIs Albert Breer said on The Rich Eisen Show that many teams believe that the best quarterback prospects are still in college. O'Connell, who led the Rams to finish ninth in total offense (372.1 yards per game) this season, helped his unit rank second in plays of 50-plus yards (10), fourth in yards per play (5.98) and eighth in offensive touchdowns (51) in 2021. Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell isn't saying if Ed Donatell will return as defensive coordinator for the 2023 season. 1. It comes down to efficiency, he said. During the 2018 season, O'Connell was tasked with getting three different quarterbacks (Josh Johnson, Colt McCoy and Mark Sanchez) up to speed following a devastating injury to starting QB Alex Smith.
", "I don't want to be the Vikings GM without this guy on our team, so it's a priority," Adofo-Mensah said. Prior to his one year in San Francisco, O'Connell was the quarterbacks coach in Cleveland during the 2015 season, assisting QB Josh McCown to becoming the only player in team history to throw for 300 or more passing yards in three consecutive games. O'Connell was claimed off waivers by the Detroit Lions on September 1, 2009.
3 Minnesota Vikings offseason moves with Kevin O'Connell - Sportsnaut "I greatly appreciate the Wilf family, Kwesi and the entire Minnesota Vikings organization for providing the opportunity to be their next head coach," said O'Connell. O'Connell and the Rams are coming off a victory in Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. The day the Vikings introduced defensive coordinator Brian Flores, OConnell mentioned the thorough self-evaluation process that took place when the season ended. Following his release, the New York Jets re-signed O'Connell to a two-year deal. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. OConnell respects the way Patrick Peterson, soon to be an unrestricted free agent, set a standard for young contributors in the secondary. Were in a position to do a lot of different things regardless of field position, score of the game, personnel groupings.. 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. In addition to helping QB Jared Goff to his fourth consecutive season with at least 3,800 passing yards and 20 touchdowns in 2020, O'Connell prepared QB John Wolford for a win-and-in game against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17, helping him pass for 231 yards and rush for 56 more in his NFL debut, while leading the Rams to a 18-7 victory and a playoff berth. INDIANAPOLIS If you walk around to different podiums and listen to NFL coaches speak to the media about their teams offseasons, you are likely to hear a lot about culture. Not only schematically, how people play against you, but the responsibility he has as a role model. Fired up to watch these guys this fall @b_petty14 @DWatford5 @EverettGolson @Connor_Cook03 @tannerlee12 @bharrisqb1 pic.twitter.com/2TNR1YJlHt The Vikings won the NFC North for the first time since 2017, which was good enough for the NFC's third seed, but were defeated by the New York Giants in the Wild Card round by a final score of 3124. But theres a foundation of care., OConnell said the conversations with Cousins are ongoing., Its not like theres some secret thing going on, OConnell said. "Justin just had an incredible year, but what I liked about it the most was just the impactful plays at critical moments he made for our team, among a lot of our players," O'Connell said.
Vikings' Kevin O'Connell Expects Kirk Cousins Back In 2022 EAGAN, Minn. Eleven months and a day after Kwesi Adofo-Mensah helped introduce Kevin O'Connell from a temporary stage constructed in Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center's Indoor Practice Facility, the men sat together at a table on a small riser in the Media Center. One thing he knows is that no matter how many As he got in a survey or wins he posted as a first-year coach, that doesnt mean they can do it all again the same way and get the same results. Kevin O'Connell who is one of the richest football quarterbacks has an estimated net worth of $5 million. We want to be.". Quarterbacks are never far from OConnells mind. OConnell also referenced fair compensation for his players at the NFL Combine, perhaps a nod to Thielens current contract and how it fits within Minnesotas free-agent navigability. The offensive line's sack rate, 4.5%, was the fifth-lowest in the NFL over the past two years. [3] O'Connell graduated from La Costa Canyon in 2003. The Minnesota Vikings named Kevin O'Connell as the 10th head coach in franchise history on Feb. 16, 2022. . Partnered with the USA TODAY Sports Media Group|Powered by, Signed a 1 year contract with Miami (MIA), Resigned a 2 year $1.25 million contract with New York (NYJ), Traded to NYJ from Detroit for a conditional draft pick, Signed a 4 year $2.46 million contract with New England (NE), Drafted by New England (NE): Round 3 (#94 overall). The rushing attack. On Wednesday, OConnell said hes hoping that their shared experience in 2022 will help both sides satisfy their needs. Here are five takeaways from the conversation, beginning with OConnells thoughts on the free-agent decisions and potential cuts that will be made in the next couple of weeks. There was a mixed reaction to that pick. O'Connell was claimed off waivers by the Jets on September 4, 2011.[16]. Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports. Meetings with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski have helped OConnell in this regard. Therefore, with free agency 11 days away, the Vikings and Thielen are firmly in the see what happens phase of the offseason, described by Thielen. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Ive spent a lot of time with Rob [Brzezinski] and Kwesi [Adofo-Mensah], and well continue to do that in anticipation of being at a certain place by the league year like we need to be and then, How do we go forward building it from there?. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Adofo-Mensah also stated that there are a lot of other factors to consider what type of quarterback the Vikings could be looking for. "He has a tremendous football IQ and is passionate about preparing, developing and communicating with his players. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Photo Credit: Kirby Lee (USA TODAY Sports). Under O'Connell, Rams quarterbacks have thrown for 1,517 passing yards (third in NFL), 11 touchdowns (fourth in NFL) and a 106.4 passer rating in playoff games (second in NFL). Theres a lot of different directions you can go, OConnell said, and (each decision) affects another one and another one. As we did on Tuesday with Vikings general manager Kwesi. The Lions traded O'Connell to the New York Jets, for a 7th round 2011 draft pick, on September 6, 2009. [19], O'Connell was hired to the offensive staff of the San Francisco 49ers on February 26, 2016. A year later, they have far more expertise of the Vikings' roster. However, neither seem like a good option now. Part of the reason for this is that the Vikings were still recovering from the Herschel Walker trade. They worked with players they inherited, quickly assessing who was set to return and how to try to add pieces they deemed missing through a strategic approach to free agency and proceeding through the 2022 NFL Draft. On third-and-8, for example, the Vikings personnel options were limited. 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) Before the Super Bowl, Thielen said onESPNsFirst Take, I want to retire a Viking. "It's so easy from my background to sit in front of a spreadsheet and make decisions and talk about things. The process was complicated by the lack of free agency and offseason movement due to the NFLs player lockout.
Sources: O'Connell finalizing contract with Vikings - KUSA.com Follow us for breaking news and latest updates. 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. The Vikings announced their agreement in principle with Cousins on a one-year contract extension Sunday the latest high-leverage deal that Cousins has successfully bet on himself with and the clearest sign yet that the Vikings aren . You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 season! This information might be about you, your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to. O'Connell also played for the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, and San Diego Chargers before retiring in 2012. One of those decisions involves quarterback Kirk Cousins. O'Connell also helped Vikings all-time leading rusher Adrian Peterson eclipse 1,000 scrimmage yards (1,040) at the age of 34. I'm sure a lot of fans will be going through that right now, and that hurts to hear, I can't lie, but I understand where that's coming from. Asked about the Vikings long-term future at that position, OConnell said he surveys the landscape of the position each year out of habit. Looking back on Vikings history, they have stumbled trying to find a franchise quarterback. The Minnesota Vikings have made the hiring of Kevin O'Connell as their new head coach official by sharing the news on social media. A lot of guys come in here and say they want to start in the NFL on Day 1. He called conversations ongoing about Cousinss future.
Kevin O'Connell believes Justin Jefferson has 'just scratched the Kevin O'Connell: Vikings have 'some real decisions' ahead to get under salary cap By Alec Lewis Mar 1, 2023 14 INDIANAPOLIS Following his news conference Wednesday afternoon at the NFL. Follow Alec on Twitter @alec_lewis.
5 Things to Know About Head Coach Kevin O'Connell - Minnesota Vikings Harrison Smith stats (2021): 73% completion % allowed, 98.7 QB rating allowed Already a projected $14 million over the 2022 NFL salary cap, the Vikings need to clear a ton of room. That, more than anything, is what OConnell wants to eliminate. If OConnells staff likes a prospect like USCs Caleb Williams or North Carolinas Drake Maye, they may be better served to wait especially with an aging team that will face a harder schedule in 2023. Even if the Vikings agree to a long-term extension, they seem to be willing to wait until their version of Mr.
O'Connell, a former backup NFL quarterback who spent time with five different teams, knows the business from a player's side and coach's side. If not, they have the luxury of having Cousins to buy more time. But the things we did accomplish, I think, were incredibly impactful. 4. The 33-year-old quarterback's $35 million base salary for 2022 became guaranteed last March . O'Connell's father, Bill, was a longtime FBI agent, and his mother, Suzanne, is a teacher. The third strategy is the one the Vikings currently employ, and it may be the option with the least room for error. In basketball, he was a two-year letterman, and a teammate of Arizona standout Chase Budinger. "This is a franchise with a deep history and a tremendous fan base. Despite entering the league three years after Stafford, Cousins is also going into his age-34 season. ". Is there a chance to add somebody maybe with different skill sets? Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell fielded questions from the media on Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. In terms of the things that were different in 2022, the most noticeable were the approach to camp and preseason workloads, managing injuries and how players who were recovering from injuries were talked about publicly and the buy-in to quarterback Kirk Cousins. OConnell continued, Adam is one of those leaders that I speak of.
Vikings Name Kevin O'Connell Head Coach - Minnesota Vikings Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell in Photos, Kevin OConnell Brings Energy, Innovation as Vikings New Head Coach, 5 Things to Know About New Vikings Head Coach Kevin OConnell. The Vikings tried to identify another quarterback when trading up for Teddy Bridgewater in 2014. What I was really impressed with Justin this year was the leadership, the next step. Really excited about Lewis and his mental growth through how he handled the adversity of that injury, OConnell said. This is also a business. "I think we showed a building full of people, players, coaches, staff, ownership group, this guy next to me, would have the ability to be their best when their best is required. Whatever the plan, timing is everything for the Vikings. [How do you] round him to make sure that you can win that way? 2. The 2020 Rams offense featured the 10th-ranked rushing attack, posting 126.1 yards per game on the ground, behind two 600-plus rushing seasons from RB Cam Akers and RB Darrell Henderson.