NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. "Reflecting on what we were able to accomplish as a football team an NFC North title and 13 wins it goes beyond that. The Minnesota Vikings have an intriguing decision on Adam Thielens future with the franchise, a team that has employed him since 2013. What was initially pitched as a competitive rebuild and trying to win on the margins morphed into setting an NFL record for the most one-score wins in a season (11-0) thanks to players who were led to become situational masters at key moments of close games. The Vikings left the Zimmer-Spielman era in desperate need of improved morale. 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. His team won 13 games and the NFLPA just said his teams culture was the best in the league. A significant part of the positive culture was OConnell and Cousins working together in lockstep. 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. If they want a quarterback in this draft, they seem willing to find a way to get them. . Furthermore, the Rams' 1,186 passing yards in the 2021 playoffs were the most in NFL history,surpassing the 2011 New York Giants (1,144).O'Connell helped Kupp (478) and Beckham, Jr., (288) post a combined 766 receiving yards in the playoffs, the most be any wide receiver duo this postseason. He said it's between a startup and one with an ability to earn, adding "in our business, earning is wins. OConnell continued, Adam is one of those leaders that I speak of. The direct work together began in April when Minnesota could start its offseason workout program and was followed by Organized Team Activities before a summer break that was followed by training camp, he preseason, regular season and postseason. 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. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. "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. O'Connell joins the Vikings after serving as the offensive coordinator for the Los A. 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. Maybe its not even for any one particular year.. Adofo-Mensah, who previously worked on Wall Street, was asked to assess where the Vikings stock is. Minnesotas approach to their franchise quarterback seems much more scientific. The Vikings need to clear $23 million of 2023 salary to get under the cap. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. 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. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. How OConnell and the front office maneuver through these personnel decisions to counteract the way defenses have played them could well become a key story in 2023. Its not always easy to maintain that, but I will never change from that because I just believe thats the way youre supposed to operate.. 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. The Vikings are coming off a 13-win season, but also a disappointing first-round exit in the playoffs. We haven't shown our ability to come in year-in, year-out and do those things. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. Sometimes how you have to reinvent yourself week in and week out, OConnell said. Players cited the tight-knit nature of the locker room and their confidence during late-game situations as a result of the buildings updated vibes under OConnell. 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. But after a year on the bench, Culpepper took the Vikings into the next decade before suffering a multi-ligament knee injury in 2005. 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. There was a mixed reaction to that pick. Under the guidance of O'Connell, Rams QB Matthew Stafford and WR Cooper Kupp both had a career years in 2021. Wide receiver Adam Thielens cap number and age (32) present another complicated decision, and OConnell is mindful of the many factors. Thats because talking about culture is a good way to spend time talking about anything else other than upcoming decisions, draft philosophies, scheme changes etc. "He has a tremendous football IQ and is passionate about preparing, developing and communicating with his players. 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. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. The other was that the Vikings werent in a position to draft a quarterback, picking in the mid-20s for a majority of Greens tenure. O'Connell was claimed off waivers by the Jets on September 4, 2011.[16]. "One of them said that she had been a long-time Vikings fan and always felt let down, and this team felt different to her," Adofo-Mensah said. When you visit any web site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Player development at every position is very, very important, OConnell said. 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. Minnesota Vikings' Kevin O'Connell 'excited to coach' Kirk Cousins in 2022. O'Connell and the Rams are coming. O'Connell was signed by the San Diego Chargers on July 29, 2012, to serve as an emergency back-up in the Chargers' practices with Charlie Whitehurst suffering an injury and Kyle Boller announcing his retirement from the league. Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell isn't saying if Ed Donatell will return as defensive coordinator for the 2023 season. 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). The Minnesota Vikings have made the hiring of Kevin O'Connell as their new head coach official by sharing the news on social media. 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). INDIANAPOLIS Following his news conference Wednesday afternoon at the NFL Scouting Combine, Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin OConnell met with a small group of beat writers. That, more than anything, is what OConnell wants to eliminate. The Vikings officially. . To see the rest of the Kevin O'Connell's contract breakdowns, & gain access to all of Spotrac's Premium tools, sign up today. Cousins is entering the final year of his contract, and NFL Networks Tom Pelissero reported earlier in the week that he would not anticipate the type of one-year, fully-guaranteed extensions that the 35-year-old has signed in the past. 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. O'Connell won his first game as head coach against the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 of the 2022 season by a score of 237. Similarly to his GM one day earlier, the Vikings head coach couldnt make a strong statement about what the future would hold at QB. Youve got to ask yourself the question: Why?. And none of the endings feature everyone who was around last year. Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell spoke at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine on Wednesday, March 1, and he shed a little bit of light on what the team's goals are for the offseason. My main goal was to connect with (Cousins) and build on a relationship, OConnell said. I believe in him as a player.. Coming off a Super Bowl LVI victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, O'Connell. OConnell knows safety Harrison Smith has done much of the same. Kentucky's Will Levis, a likely top-10 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, spoke Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine and -- in under 15 minutes -- presented himself as arguably the most self-assured QB in this year's class. The process was complicated by the lack of free agency and offseason movement due to the NFLs player lockout. The Wilfs and the resources they give us to bring in the people, like [exectuive director of player health and performance] Tyler Williams, OConnell said. Spielman hand-picked Ponder to be his quarterback after watching a game against North Carolina and a couple of practices at the Senior Bowl. 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. Kupp's 145 receptions and 1,947 receiving yards both ranked as the second-highest single-season totals in NFL history, trailing only Michael Thomas's 149 receptions in 2019 and Calvin Johnson's 1,964 receiving yards in 2012. ", "We've shown that we have a culture and an ability to do those things at a really high level," Adofo-Mensah said. McCown also broke the single-game passing record in 2015, throwing for 457 yards against the Baltimore Ravens. Visit NFL.com's transaction hub for a daily breakdown. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. 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. As a senior, he was named his team's Most Valuable Player, and selected to All-League, All-North County, and All-San Diego teams. Kevin O'Connell had some interesting things to say about the direction the Minnesota Vikings want to go as they look ahead to the 2023 NFL season. Wanting to make those guys feel like their coach cares about them, both the person and the player, and their future, its real, OConnell said. 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. If I demand our team to improve in certain areas, OConnell said, Ive got to do the things we need to do as a staff.. Finding a suitable compromise appears to be the current strategy. Some believe that is too rich for an aging playmaker and have subsequently speculated about Thielens fate in 2023. The day the Vikings introduced defensive coordinator Brian Flores, OConnell mentioned the thorough self-evaluation process that took place when the season ended. Its even stronger now. The Vikings head coach compared all of the moving parts to puzzle pieces but its more like a choose-your-own-adventure book because each choice with Player X impacts Player Y and the combination of all of the decisions takes you to a different endpoint. 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. But this regime doesnt seem to be looking for a quarterback, theyre looking for the quarterback. He's McVay's second coordinator in two years to move on, joiningformer Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, who is now head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. But the things we did accomplish, I think, were incredibly impactful. Head coach Kevin O'Connell of the Minnesota Vikings speaks to the media during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 1, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. "We are ecstatic to add Kevin as our head coach," said Vikings Owner/President Mark Wilf. "As crazy as this sounds, leading the league in yards and receptions, I think he and I have just scratched the surface of where we want to go as an offense, particularly with him as our premier receiver," O'Connell said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. 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. That will motivate us to lead this organization to the place we want to go. Aug 30 2009 Released by New England. 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. "I came from a business where your job is to not be emotional and if you make emotional decisions, you typically make bad decisions. The Washington Commanders took Cousins in the []. ", O'Connell said the next step is "a championship standard" and that he wanted to wrap his evaluations and dialogue about the 2022 season the "way it should, with the same type of connection" with players and the "foundational building blocks of what we want to be. But there was a sobering line of questioning from a New York reporter pertaining to Giants head coach Brian Daboll. 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. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings. The offensive coordinator from the 2022 Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams, Kevin O'Connell, is finalizing his head coaching contract with the Minnesota Vikings. Follow us for breaking news and latest updates. Following his release, the New York Jets re-signed O'Connell to a two-year deal.