Kevin O'Connell Articles - Page 2

To begin his first career start, it looked like quarterback JJ McCarthy was going through some understandable jitters. He seemed almost rattled, as he made some questionable decisions and uncharacteristically poor throws, and the Minnesota Vikings ended up trailing the Chicago Bears by 11 at the end of three quarters. But McCarthy seemed to figure […]

JJ McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings treated NFL fans to one more primetime comeback. Ending a brutal 14-game trend in the process against the Chicago Bears. McCarthy sparked Minnesota’s rally following a costly interception, erasing an 11-point fourth quarter deficit to win 27-24. Their comeback arrived 24 hours after the Buffalo Bills’ improbable victory over […]

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is a growing quarterback whisperer. He reignited Matthew Stafford’s career in 2021 with the Los Angeles Rams before turning around Sam Darnold’s last season. Now he’s working with JJ McCarthy — including making early adjustments. McCarthy turned to meditation for his much-anticipated NFL debut. But he also put eye […]

The Minnesota Vikings have a young quarterback trying to find his NFL way as they open against a rival. However, O’Connell used a Michael Phelps analogy to describe how teams have failed their young quarterbacks. O’Connell said it’s mind-boggling the way NFL teams approach the quarterback situation sometimes, according to ESPN. “In what world do […]

Quarterback JJ McCarthy already stands as the future face of the franchise, and now he’s ready to embrace the spotlight and lead the next chapter for the Minnesota Vikings. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell named him one of the team’s 2025 captains after McCarthy quickly earned the trust of both coaches and teammates. Head Coach […]

The Minnesota Vikings’ wide receiver depth has quickly become a concern as the 2025 season approaches. ESPN NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler believes a familiar face could be the solution. With Jordan Addison set to serve a three-game NFL suspension, Rondale Moore out for the year with a knee injury, and Jalen Nailor recovering from a […]

Kevin O’Connell didn’t have the best injury update for Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor as the preseason winds down. Nailor suffered a hand injury during training camp, having been on the sidelines throughout the preseason. After the Vikings’ second preseason contest against the New England Patriots, O’Connell gave an update on how the receiver […]

The Minnesota Vikings were holding a quarterback competition between journeyman Sam Darnold and first-year passer J.J. McCarthy last offseason. After the rookie tore his meniscus in the preseason, Darnold took the starting job and ran with it. The Vikings developed a potent passing game with the veteran, finishing the year 14-3. In 2025, Minnesota will […]

The Minnesota Vikings went 14-3 last season. Kevin O’Connell’s offense was dominant despite a poor playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams. Experts thought that Minnesota losing Sam Darnold to the Seattle Seahawks would be a tough blow. However, O’Connell believes that J.J. McCarthy can succeed in an offense featuring Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison […]

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell addressed the unique expectations surrounding rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy during a recent appearance on Scoop City, speaking with The Athletic’s Senior NFL Insider Dianna Russini on Friday. “As I’ve told JJ and I’ve told our offensive unit. It should be a good thing that the expectations for not only […]

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has nothing but good things to say about J.J. McCarthy. On Friday, O’Connell continued to heap praise on McCarthy for his recent practice performance with the New England Patriots, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN. On Thursday, the Vikings and Patriots held a joint practice session. McCarthy was on top […]

After New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel clarified his recent Drake Maye comments over leadership, he roasted Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell with the same Tom Brady line as Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. Amidst joint practice leading up to New England’s preseason opener against the Commanders, a reporter asked what Vrabel […]

Justin Jefferson has been dealing with an injury in recent weeks after suffering a mild hamstring strain in his left leg in late July. He hasn’t been able to participate in the Minnesota Vikings’ training camp sessions since then. However, it sounds like the star wideout could be on the verge of returning, but there […]

After Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore was carted off in the preseason opener against the Houston Texans, there were many concerns about the severity of the injury. There is now a grim update regarding the Vikings’ wide out as the team officially announces that they have placed Moore on the season-ending injured list (IL). […]

One year after suffering a torn meniscus that ended his rookie season before it even started, J.J. McCarthy returned to the field against the Houston Texans on Saturday. The Minnesota Vikings quarterback only played one series in the preseason opener, but it was more than enough to impress head coach Kevin O’Connell. The Vikings played […]

The Minnesota Vikings opened the preseason portion of their schedule with a 20-10 victory over the Houston Texans, and it appears that starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy was able to finish his first-quarter assignment without any injury. A year ago, McCarthy suffered a season-ending injury in the opening preseason game of the year. However, the Vikings […]

The Minnesota Vikings are in one of the more unique situations in the NFL, having experienced a great regular season last year that defied expectations but then letting their starting quarterback, Sam Darnold, walk in free agency. Minnesota is now handing over the reins to 2024 first round draft pick JJ McCarthy, who missed all […]

The NFL Training Camp experience for Minnesota Vikings rookie JJ McCarthy has been anything but uneventful. The rookie quarterback is riding a roller-coaster of development, and according to head coach Kevin O’Connell, his camp performances fall into two categories: “great moments” and “unbelievable teaching moments.” The Vikings knew this process wouldn’t be linear. JJ McCarthy […]

These are not the same Minnesota Vikings that won 14 games last season, which is the second-highest mark in franchise history. That may not be a bad thing, though, considering they lost by double digits to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Wild Card Round. How this squad moves forward will depend greatly on […]

Sam Darnold parlayed his career-best season with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 into a three-year, $100.5 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason. Now Seattle is hoping Darnold can build on last season’s success and lead the team back to the playoffs for the first time since 2022. Seahawks tight end AJ Barner is […]

The Minnesota Vikings were one of the best teams in the NFL throughout the first 17 weeks of the regular season a year ago. They brought a nine-game winning streak into their last regular season game against the Detroit Lions. The Vikings were beaten badly by their division rivals, and that loss cost them the […]

The Minnesota Vikings have become one of the elite teams in the NFC under head coach Kevin O’Connell. After winning 13 games and the NFC North title in 2022 and 14 games last season, O’Connell has earned a great deal of respect from his peers and keen NFL observers. O’Connell’s greatest strength is his ability […]

The Minnesota Vikings were one of the best stories in the NFL during the 2024 season. Minnesota shocked the world by winning 14 games with Sam Darnold at quarterback. Could the Vikings do the same thing in 2025 under second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy? Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell made it clear in a recent interview […]

The Minnesota Vikings were so close to having a remarkable season in 2024. They started the season with five straight victories, and after a pair of losses they came through with a nine-game winning streak. The Vikings were 14-2 going into their regular season finale against the powerful Detroit Lions. A win in that game […]

The Minnesota Vikings are coming off an incredible 2024-25 season that saw them lose to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Wild Card round, 27-9. Now, the offense will look very different with a new quarterback under center. Kevin O’Connell made sure to keep around his offensive coordinator, Wes Phillips, for a few more […]

Excitement is building in Minneapolis as the JJ McCarthy era is almost here for the Minnesota Vikings. McCarthy was selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he ended up missing all of last season with a torn meniscus that he suffered in the preseason. Now, he is back to 100% […]

The Minnesota Vikings have been one of the most successful NFL teams in recent seasons. Their effectiveness coincides with the hiring of head coach Kevin O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. The Vikings went 13-4 in the 2022 season and won the NFC North that year, and they put together a 14-3 season last year […]

He wasn’t just calling plays this offseason; Kevin O’Connell was calling pranks too. The Minnesota Vikings head coach surprised everyone in the draft room on Day 3 of the NFL Draft by walking in with a fake mustache, catching the entire staff off guard in a lighthearted nod to general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s signature facial hair, […]

The NFL is going to vote on a suggestion by the Detroit Lions to change the way the playoffs are seeded. The Lions brought up a plan to have teams with the best records seeded higher than division winners if the second- and third-place teams had better records than the division champions. #49ers and Brock […]

Sam Darnold may no longer be a member of the Minnesota Vikings, but he still keeps in contact with his former coach, Kevin O’Connell, even though he signed a three-year, $100.5 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks in free agency earlier this offseason. The Pro Bowl quarterback earned his big contract with the Seahawks after […]

The Minnesota Vikings (14-3) have spent much of the offseason addressing their biggest needs. While they had a brilliant 2024 season, they lost their regular-season finale to the Detroit Lions and their Wild Card playoff game to the Los Angeles Rams. Their offensive line failed to hold up in either game. As a result, the […]

The Minnesota Vikings were unable to utilize their rookie quarterback, JJ McCarthy, last season after he suffered a season-ending torn meniscus injury in his right knee. Entering his second year in the NFL, there’s been speculation that the 22-year-old quarterback won’t be ready by the start of the upcoming season. However, head coach Kevin O’Connell […]

The Minnesota Vikings are hoping to build off what they did in the 2024 season. The Vikings started the season with a five-game winning streak and never looked back. The Vikings went into the final game of the regular season with a chance to secure both the NFC North title and the top seed in […]

The Minnesota Vikings are coming off an excellent showing in 2024 that saw them become one of the dominant regular-season teams in the NFL. The Vikings finished the year with a 14-3 record, but when they dropped their Week 17 meeting with the Detroit Lions, they fell to second place in the NFC North. That […]

The Minnesota Vikings have always been enamored with J.J. McCarthy, but since the young quarterback is coming off a torn meniscus, and 2024 Pro Bowl selection Sam Darnold is no longer on the roster, it is good to consider all options. A future Hall of Fame quarterback could make for a fine insurance policy. Aaron […]

The Minnesota Vikings are fully prepared to give J.J. McCarthy the keys to their franchise as soon as 2025. Despite the Michigan product coming off a torn meniscus, Kevin O’Connell is confident in him as the Vikings’ franchise quarterback. With the Vikings expected to officially hand McCarthy the starting job, O’Connell gushed over his new […]

The Minnesota Vikings have not slammed the door shut on Aaron Rodgers just yet. It seems that they would like to turn their quarterback responsibilities over to J.J. McCarthy for the coming season and that’s just what they will do if last year’s first-round selection is healthy and able to handle the responsibilities that head […]

The Minnesota Vikings have made their intentions crystal clear—they are fully committed to building for the future. After years of searching for a franchise quarterback, they finally have their answer in JJ McCarthy. However, there’s still one critical move left on the table. To ensure they are fully prepared for any scenario, the Vikings must […]

The Minnesota Vikings have been hot in the rumor mill lately as they’ve been linked with veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers. However, with free agency dwindling down and the NFL Draft around the corner, the organization’s plans at quarterback might becoming more clear. Rodgers signing with the Vikings is becoming more unlikely, however, it sounds like […]