Kevin O'Connell Articles - Page 6

Despite having a huge performance and being a big reason why the Minnesota Vikings took down the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2, Justin Jefferson didn’t come away unscathed. The All-Pro receiver sustained a quad contusion, the medical term for a “charley horse” or sometimes referred to as “dead leg.” For professional athletes, it can […]

Heading into the 2024 season, Justin Jefferson had played 60 career games with the Minnesota Vikings, and in 38 of them he had either scored a touchdown or gone over the 100 yard mark. On Sunday afternoon, Jefferson bumped that number up to 39 after finding the end zone halfway through the 2nd quarter in […]

The Minnesota Vikings opened their season in impressive fashion. They walked into MetLife Stadium and took apart the New York Giants by a 28-6 margin on their home field. This is a Vikings team that many NFL observers believe will finish in last place in the NFC North. The Detroit Lions are expected to be […]

Talk about an ideal opening act. The Minnesota Vikings pulled off a razor-sharp effort on the road against the New York Giants in the season opener, earning a 28-6 triumph. It was a game that featured significant contributions on both sides of the ball, and head coach Kevin O’Connell had high praise for the Vikings […]

The Minnesota Vikings already have their fair share of injury headaches to deal with. For now, they will have to forego starting JJ McCarthy as their signal caller because of a tough season-ending ailment. Moreover, Kevin O’Connell also faced tough news before their Week 1 game against the New York Giants. Jordan Addison, a key […]

The Minnesota Vikings have a tough assignment this year in the NFC North. This division appears to be at or near the top of the NFL food chain for the 2024 season, and the Vikings appear to be looking up at all three of their divisional opponents. The Detroit Lions are coming off a strong […]

The Minnesota Vikings go into the 2024-25 season as a team that is clearly facing a major challenge in the NFC North. There are a number of major issues, and it starts with the competition. The Detroit Lions are the defending division champions, and head coach Dan Campbell’s charges have their eyes on making the […]

The NFC North has been a huge story throughout the NFL this summer. When the subject has been the best division in the league or the most improved, the NFC North heads the discussion. The Detroit Lions are legitimate Super Bowl aspirants for the first time in the team’s history. They will likely be challenged […]

During the Minnesota Vikings’ preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles, head coach Kevin O’Connell, likely needing some stress relief after dealing with the fallout from the Tua Tagovailoa and Brian Flores drama, had some fun with the guys in the FOX broadcast booth by tipping off the play call and predicting how the play would […]

The Minnesota Vikings have had an extremely tough offseason. Minnesota has dealt with a ton of adversity over the past few months, including the tragic passing of cornerback Khyree Jackson. They’ve also dealt with multiple injuries and transitions on the roster compared to last season. Now the Vikings have to deal with more narratives in […]

The Minnesota Vikings are entering their first season without former quarterback Kirk Cousins. The veteran signed with the Atlanta Falcons this offseason, so head coach Kevin O’Connell and the front office had to pivot. They signed former San Francisco 49ers backup Sam Darnold to a one-year deal, and drafted Michigan’s JJ McCarthy with the 10th […]

The news this summer for the Minnesota Vikings has been quite discouraging. It started with the tragic death of fourth-round draft choice Khyree Jackson, who was killed in an automobile accident in early July. Shortly after that, second-year wideout Jordan Addison was arrested on suspicion of DUI, an event that could still result in a […]

The Minnesota Vikings are currently reeling from the brutal injury to rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who will be missing the entire upcoming season due to a knee injury. Looking at the rest of the position group, it looks like Sam Darnold will be the starting quarterback, but the team does feel comfortable as Vikings head […]

Kevin O’Connell just lost some depth at the signal caller position. The Minnesota Vikings are going to have to traverse the season without JJ McCarthy due to an injury. While they still have Sam Darnold who can take over at the quarterback spot and send darts to Justin Jefferson, this injury is still a big […]

The Minnesota Vikings received devasting news when they learned rookie J.J. McCarthy would miss time due to a knee injury. While it’s still unclear how long McCarthy will be sidelined, things should become more apparent once he has surgery to repair his torn meniscus. During surgery, doctors will determine whether McCarthy needs a meniscus trim, […]

Minnesota had exciting moments in its preseason opener, and quarterback JJ McCarthy put himself in position to possibly unseat presumed starter Sam Darnold. But hold on a minute. McCarthy picked up a sudden knee injury and didn’t practice Monday. Head coach Kevin O’Connell announced the injury, and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported it by writing […]

The Minnesota Vikings may have their quarterback of the future in the fold, but all of the fans who are eager to spend their Sunday’s chanting “Skol!” shouldn’t be in too much of a hurry to see JJ McCarthy in regular season action, because even after a successful preseason debut in a 24-23 win over the […]

The Minnesota Vikings won their first preseason game of the season as Kevin O’Connell’s team knocked off Antonio Pierce’s Las Vegas Raiders by a single point. Vikings projected starter Sam Darnold got a decent chunk of playing time and vented his frustrations about an issue that took place during the game, which ended in a […]

One of the owners of the Minnesota Vikings doesn’t want to discuss contract negotiations for the head coach. Vikings co-owner Mark Wilf is not thinking that far into the future. “We’re focused on the season ahead,” Wilf said, per the Star Tribune. Wilf is praising his head coach Kevin O’ Connell, despite those dismissive remarks. […]

In just the eighth game of his fourth season in the National Football League, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson set the record for most receiving yards by a player in their first four NFL seasons. It was an achievement that properly captured the incredible and immediate impact that Jefferson has made in such a […]

The Minnesota Vikings are still waiting for their star tight end, T.J. Hockenson, to hit the practice field after suffering a torn ACL last season. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell gave an update on Hockenson’s status at practice on Aug. 2, and many fans should be excited, but still cautious, about what he had to […]

When the Minnesota Vikings signed Sam Darnold after spending 2023 with the San Francisco 49ers, it felt like a classic case of a bridge QB. Sure, Darnold has starting experience, collegiate pedigree, and is somehow only 27, but he’s only had one winning season as a pro, and that Jets season is more notable for […]

Breakups are never easy, even between a franchise like the Minnesota Vikings and Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins. But now that Cousins is under center for the Atlanta Falcons and the Vikings have handed the reins to rookie J.J. McCarthy, the dust has finally settled, and the details behind the breakup have started to emerge, […]

The Minnesota Vikings have been through many quarterback changes throughout the past season as with Kirk Cousins leaving to sign with the Atlanta Falcons, they are looking for their next star to move the organization forward. The one they hope to do the job is J.J. McCarthy as they selected him with the 10th overall […]

The Minnesota Vikings are facing some serious issues in the 2024 season. Start off with the fact that the NFC North may be the most challenging division in the NFL. The Detroit Lions have never been to the Super Bowl, but they have serious aspirations of representing the NFC in the title game and winning […]

The start of training camp for the Minnesota Vikings is within sight and the 2024 season will present a myriad of challenges for head coach Kevin O’Connell and his players. The Vikings made major changes throughout the offseason, and many of the league’s primary observers believe that the moves the team has made will pay […]

The Minnesota Vikings selected J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick of the NFL Draft back in April, but it’s looking more and more like head coach Kevin O’Connell is favoring Sam Darnold to win the starting quarterback job. “At the quarterback position, look, we’re really excited about Sam,” O’Connell said on Mad Dog Sports […]

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is taking things slow with incoming rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, and it’s looking more and more like Sam Darnold will end up being the Vikings’ starter for the season opener. O’Connell explained why McCarthy hasn’t been taking first team reps throughout offseason workouts during a recent appearance on The […]

The Minnesota Vikings decided to change the direction and the face of the franchise during the 2024 NFL offseason. It is a move that has taken courage and has been applauded at several levels throughout the NFL. However, discarding Kirk Cousins and failing to re-sign pass rush specialist Danielle Hunter may prove to be quite […]

The Minnesota Vikings have undergone quite the facelift on offense. QB Kirk Cousins left for Atlanta during free agency and was replaced by first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy. Former Packers running back Aaron Jones is set to be the lead back in Minnesota as well. Vikings fans are thrilled that the facelift did not include parting […]

On Monday, the Minnesota Vikings finally gave wide receiver Justin Jefferson what he wanted in the form of a new four-year, $140 million contract extension, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Jefferson’s deal essentially caps off what has been a very productive offseason for the Vikings. HERE TO STAY‼️ The #Vikings have agreed to terms on […]

The Minnesota Vikings are going through a season of change in 2024. Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter left the organization through free agency, and they were two of the team’s leaders and best players. The team has made multiple changes in the offseason, and perhaps the most important was the drafting of quarterback J.J. McCarthy […]

The Minnesota Vikings have been busy this offseason but have yet to make what would be their biggest, most important move yet: extending the contract of Justin Jefferson. Negotiations for the new deal took a pause for the NFL Draft but now should resume as the Vikings look to lock down the three-time Pro Bowler […]

We are now just days away from the 2024 NFL Draft, and you can bet the nerves are beginning to amp up, if they haven’t already. But as nervous as the 250-plus player prospects are, the head coaches set out to draft them, like New England Patriots’ Jerod Mayo, are likely even more so. You […]

Michigan football quarterback JJ McCarthy is going to find out where he will play in the NFL on Thursday during the first round of the NFL Draft, and there is a lot of buzz regarding the Minnesota Vikings potentially trading up for him. McCarthy spoke about potentially playing for the Vikings and head coach Kevin […]

Michael Penix Jr. has become quite the topic for the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, set to take place on April 25, starting with the first round. Last year’s Heisman Trophy runner-up has been slotted to be drafted anywhere within the first five to 10 picks or to not be selected in the first round at […]

The Minnesota Vikings must come away with a quarterback in this year’s draft. They let former starter Kirk Cousins leave through free agency when general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell decided that their former signal caller was not worth the four-year, $180 million deal that he got from the Atlanta Falcons. The […]

Head coach Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings are currently in the process of searching for their franchise quarterback of the future after previous starter Kirk Cousins shockingly departed the organization this past offseason and took his talents south to join forces with the Atlanta Falcons. Of course, Cousins missed over half of the recently […]

The Minnesota Vikings are in the middle of a revamping this offseason with Kirk Cousins headed for Atlanta and Sam Darnold the likely new starter at quarterback. Meanwhile, one of the franchise’s biggest stars, safety Harrison Smith, has been pondering a return in recent months. The most recent Smith and Cousins news has had fans […]