It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. O'Connell has an older sister, Kelly, who is an attorney. 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). 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. Some would take this as a sign the Vikings are ready to move on. 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. He was also born in Minnesota. Those are things we got to answer. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O'Connell have only held their posts for a year, but they deserve the faith of the Vikings community. The numbers bear out OConnells observation. Adofo-Mensah, who previously worked on Wall Street, was asked to assess where the Vikings stock is. "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. Eagan, Minn. (February 15, 2022) The Minnesota Vikings have named Kevin O'Connell as the 10th head coach in franchise history. The third strategy is the one the Vikings currently employ, and it may be the option with the least room for error. As he reviewed the way defenses matched up against his team, OConnell noticed a trend. 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. Before the Super Bowl, Thielen said onESPNsFirst Take, I want to retire a Viking. He had been placed on the injured reserve list. Is it to that line?' But the biggest question on everybodys mind was what they were going to do with Kirk Cousins. 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. Justin Jeffersons superstar turn. "Like [O'Connell] said in his final meeting, 'It's supposed to hurt. In the early 1990s, Dennis Green used a revolving quarterback carousel that featured Jim McMahon, Warren Moon, Randall Cunningham, and Jeff George. 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." [29]. But in Kevin O'Connell's case on Wednesday, he was able to beam about the Vikings' culture after an NFL Players Association survey showed proof that he made good on the cultural promises he. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. The rushing attack. I think the priority first and foremost is giving him time to evaluate our roster with our young players and some of our veteran players and see how pieces may fit, OConnell said. That OConnell even cited this statistic demonstrates the team is thinking about how to fully maximize its offense. So have expectations going forward, until "someday" can become "the day.". 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. 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 joins the Vikings after serving as the offensive coordinator for the Los A. He also held the same position for Washington in 2019 after serving as the team'spassing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. 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. If they want a quarterback in this draft, they seem willing to find a way to get them. 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. ", "We've shown that we have a culture and an ability to do those things at a really high level," Adofo-Mensah said. If you tell me Im second-and-5, here we go. Its even stronger now. Part of their jobs during the comprehensive evaluation process will be setting aside those personal relationships and not letting them interfere with the process of building the 2023 Vikings to have the best chance at a championship and be within the constraints of the NFL's salary cap. Even as other quarterbacks such as Willis, Desmond Ridder, and Sam Howell were there in the latest rounds of the draft, the Vikings didnt pull the trigger. 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. I think that's where we want to go eventually," Adofo-Mensah continued. 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. O'Connell graduated from San Diego State University in December 2007 with a degree in political science. But the quarterback position, both the understanding of where that player truly is when you get a chance to start coaching him, and then what your plan is for that player moving forward.. 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. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, whose size has been a matter of conjecture in the run-up to the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, officially measured in at 5-foot-10 1/8 and 204 pounds on Saturday. And none of the endings feature everyone who was around last year. Adofo-Mensah admitted his elevation to GM brought him more exposure to the human elements than when he was advancing through the research-and-development departments with the 49ers and Browns. That ultimately led the Vikings to Cousins. 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. 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. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings. It's supposed to sting.' Really excited about Lewis and his mental growth through how he handled the adversity of that injury, OConnell said. [19], O'Connell was hired to the offensive staff of the San Francisco 49ers on February 26, 2016. And in 2022, Cousins is scheduled to cost the Vikings $45 million on their salary cap. 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. 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! Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson is "fired up" to work with Washington's new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. While some coaches chose not to attend this years combine, OConnell places considerable value on meeting players in person. New Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell, some two weeks after reaching an agreement with the club to replace Mike Zimmer, can finally wear some purple. ". In addition to impacting the culture within the building through an emphasis on building connectivity across the roster, the Vikings installed O'Connell's offense with Offensive Coordinator Wes Phillips, a defensive system led by Defensive Coordinator Ed Donatell and changed their special teams under first-year coordinator Matt Daniels. 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. I am committed to working tirelessly to bring them a Super Bowl championship.". But it was part of the process to find a long-term solution. Jan 19, 2023 at 10:00 AM. INDIANAPOLIS -- Justin Jefferson led the NFL in receiving yards and receptions in 2022 while averaging 106.4 yards per game. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. [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. 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. How long does he meet that threshold? The Vikings had several needs coming off a 15-win season in 1998. One of those decisions involves quarterback Kirk Cousins. O'Connell, 36, was a third-round pick . 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?. [3] O'Connell graduated from La Costa Canyon in 2003. On third-and-8, for example, the Vikings personnel options were limited. (OConnell is 6-foot-5, so his frame provides a solid comparison.). Asked about the Vikings long-term future at that position, OConnell said he surveys the landscape of the position each year out of habit. Weve got some real decisions to talk through and things to work through, OConnell said. Adofo-Mensah shared an anecdote from after the game when he was walking the concourse behind a group of fans. There are some hard conversations sometimes. To see the rest of the Kevin O'Connell's contract breakdowns, & gain access to all of Spotrac's Premium tools, sign up today. 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. ", "Kevin is an impressive and respected leader who has been a part of some explosive offensive schemes," said Vikings Owner/Chairman Zygi Wilf. With Cousins in his mid-30s, the Vikings need to figure out a succession plan at quarterback. 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. OConnell, though, sounded committed to making it work. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott's cap hit might be rising in 2023, but owner Jerry Jones believes his quarterback has the ability to bridge the gap in any talent the roster might lose because of it. 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. Heck, it was even over 70 degrees outside. He categorized the current state of rushing in the NFL into three separate strategies: deploying a running quarterback, operating in the run-pass option world, and going the traditional route with run-pass deception from under center. 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. OConnell knows safety Harrison Smith has done much of the same. But Adofo-Mensah gave his own review about his starting quarterback. In July 2017, Kirk Cousins became the first quarterback to play under the franchise tag for the second consecutive year. But Kevin O'Connell's comments later in the week made it sound like something bigger was in the works. He called conversations ongoing about Cousinss future. Set to earn just $2.399 million in 2023, with a potential fifth-year team option in 2024, Jefferson is due a massive pay increase in line with his value. 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. The only way theyre going to improve is through hard work and understanding that accountability factor to what their goals are, OConnell explained. 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. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. Eagan, Minn. (February 15, 2022) - The Minnesota Vikings have named Kevin O'Connell as the 10th head coach in franchise history. The 33-year-old quarterback's $35 million base salary for 2022 became guaranteed last March . 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 by a Rams quarterback with 41, while also winning his first playoff game in his 13th season in the NFL. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. 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?. 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. Kevin William O'Connell, nicknamed "KOC", is an American former player and a football coach who is the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. But in Kevin OConnells case on Wednesday, he was able to beam about the Vikings culture after an NFL Players Association survey showed proof that he made good on the cultural promises he made at the last NFL Combine. Teams that typically played with one-high safety against most opponents often utilized two-high safeties against the Vikings. 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.
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