Nearly a third of the NFL has turned over its head coach position this offseason, which has raised the question about whether Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, the 2024 NFL Coach of the Year, is safe in his seat.
Several Vikings reporters have taken the temperature of the Vikings coach’s seat and agree that next season could be vital in O’Connell keeping his job in Minnesota.
And that puts even more pressure on getting the quarterback position right.
Last offseason, the Vikings moved on from Sam Darnold’s 14-win season, hitching their hopes to J.J. McCarthy. O’Connell vouched for McCarthy as the organization’s “franchise quarterback” after McCarthy’s first NFL season ended prematurely with a meniscus injury in August 2024.
However, after McCarthy’s first season as a starter, O’Connell shifted his tone, hedging that a more competitive quarterback room is necessary.
McCarthy’s third season as a pro will be vital in his development and offer a clear picture of whether Minnesota should invest in an extension for the young quarterback or pivot elsewhere.
But whether O’Connell has the runway to see a third season from McCarthy through is a major consideration for the head coach who saw his predecessor, Mike Zimmer, fired after missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
McCarthy will likely be on a short leash if he is named the starter next season.
How Hot is Kevin O’Connell’s Seat?
Just a year removed from winning the NFL Coach of the Year award, O’Connell’s name being subject to firing seems absurd.
However, the award isn’t the greatest indicator of sustained success, but moreso an incredible single-year feat.
Kevin Stefanski won the award twice with the Cleveland Browns and was fired the year after he made the playoffs with Joe Flacco. Former New York Giants coach Brian Daboll won the award in 2022 and won a playoff game that season over the Vikings but was fired midseason less than three years later.
However, Vikings ownership has shown to be less knee-jerk than other owners. Purple Insider’s Matthew Coller said that most owners seem more reactionary to fan sentiment than the Wilfs.
But five years as head coach without a playoff win is rare in the NFL, putting the pressure on O’Connell to at least return to the postseason next year, Coller argued.
JJ McCarthy Cannot Be the Sole Answer at QB for Vikings in 2026, Analyst Argues
When asked about whether O’Connell’s job is at risk next season, Coller argued that while the head coach has a proven track record of success and galvanizing an organization, a playoff berth is needed to keep many decision makers in their seats.
And that will require a major quarterback move to find the right insurance for McCarthy.
“I agree that every single aggressive possible route has to be investigated by the Vikings,” Coller said, outlining all the possible quarterbacks who could land in Minnesota from Mac Jones, Kyler Murray, Aaron Rodgers, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson. “There has to be all those possible routes looked into, and you can’t just say we’re going to ride with JJ. It’s a five-year plan. Here we go. Like we’re going to try to develop him over a number of years, like we’re the Packers or something. Probably not. Like, you probably aren’t going to get that much leeway with this decision that was made.
“And, it does matter that Sam Darnold has turned out to be on the team that goes to the NFC Championship. That is a very, very bad look for the decision makers in the Vikings organization, which means you have to save yourself this year more likely than not,” Coller added. “You got to be back in the playoffs. You got to have a winning season. And that could mean something that we don’t even see coming at the quarterback position and could really end up surprising us.”
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