6 hours Ago By Adam Gretz, Yardbarker
While several teams around the NFL are trying to find their next head coach, the Minnesota Vikings already have the man they believe in for their job. They are also taking great steps to make sure he does not get away anytime soon. The Vikings announced on Tuesday that they have agreed to terms with head coach Kevin O'Connell on a multiyear contract extension.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but given the success O'Connell has had in his first three years with the Vikings, it is almost certain to be a fairly lucrative deal. The Vikings are coming off a 14-3 regular season in 2024 and are 34-17 in O'Connell's first three years running the team. Statement from #Vikings Owner/Chairman Zygi Wilf on agreeing to terms on a contract extension with Head Coach Kevin O'Connell.
pic.twitter.com/RzGYbcUa2a The 2024 season was arguably his best season with the Vikings, with O'Connell leading the team to a stunning 14 wins record despite trying to replace veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins with a rookie (J.
J. McCarthy), and then having to lean on Sam Darnold after McCarthy was lost for the season before it even began. It would have been easy for the Vikings' season to fall apart without a proven top-tier starting quarterback on the roster, but they ended up having one of the best regular seasons in franchise history.
Now that the Vikings have established themselves as a consistent playoff team in the NFC, and now that O'Connell is locked in as their long-term head coach, the expectation has to increase. Despite making the playoffs in two of his first three seasons, and despite already having two 13-win seasons with the Vikings, O'Connell's team is 0-2 in the playoffs, both times losing to teams that had a worse record than them. Given the new contract extension, it is clearly not yet a concern, especially if the team is going to keep winning at the rate it has so far under O'Connell.
But at some point, playoff success will need to follow. Now with O'Connell's contract set, the Vikings' next order of business will be figuring out what to do with their quarterback situation. Darnold is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and given the way he finished the season, they may not want to invest big money in him, especially with McCarthy — a first-round pick in 2024 — set to return.
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