The Minnesota Vikings were largely written off before the season began after losing veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins in free agency and his replacement, rookie JJ McCarthy, to a torn ACL during the preseason. Then in stepped Sam Darnold, and under the tutelage of head coach Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota won 14 games. A 27-9 drubbing in the Wild Card Round against the Los Angeles Rams stung, but all in all, Vikings fans can’t be too disappointed with the way the 2024 season turned out.
It’s unclear who will line up under center for Minnesota in 2025, but one key piece of the puzzle has already been sorted out.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Vikings agreed to a multi-year contract extension with O’Connell, who had been entering the final year of his deal.
Schefter later reported that Minnesota was also in the process of negotiating an extension with Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who just finished his third year as the team’s General Manager.
O’Connell, a former Rams offensive coordinator, has been one of the most successful coaches in the league over his first three seasons as an NFL head coach. He has amassed a 34-19 record, including the regular season and postseason, and his .667 regular season winning percentage is the 15th-best in NFL history. O’Connell finished the season as a heavy favorite to win the NFL’s Coach of the Year award.
