After rumors ran rampant regarding head coach Kevin O’Connell‘s future, Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s development has runway to be seen to its entirety.
While details of O’Connell’s contract remain under wraps as the Vikings negotiate an extension with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, KSTP’s Darren Wolfson said he believes O’Connell’s deal is expected to be for the full duration of McCarthy’s rookie deal.
The intention behind the decision is to tie McCarthy with the man who greenlit the decision to select him 10th overall almost a year ago.
It’s safe to say, the term is attached to J.J. McCarthy,” Wolfson said January 23 on “SKOR North.”
“J.J. McCarthy is under contractual control for four more years, I have reason to believe, the term on this extension is at least that. It’s not like two years or three years, it’s more likely he is now under Vikings control through 2029.”
Vikings Aligning Long-Term Outlook With J.J. McCarthy Plan
GettyMinnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell leaves the field after beating the Chicago Bears.
If Wolfson is correct, the Vikings are nearing organizational lockstep for at least the next four seasons in service of their ultimate plan since moving off Kirk Cousins: developing a franchise quarterback.
While that’s been the assumption all along, inking O’Connell to a long-term deal means the Vikings brass can move forward and make plans with the long-term in mind.
Had O’Connell only received a two- or three-year deal, for instance, the pressure would be on for the Vikings coach to at least win a playoff game — one of the few missing achievements on his coaching resume.
That expectation was on Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman even after they received three-year extensions coming off a wild-card round victory over the New Orleans Saints in 2020. They were fired just two seasons later after missing the playoffs the next two seasons.
That same fate could lead to rash roster decisions, especially at quarterback where Minnesota faces a dilemma between re-signing Sam Darnold or preparing McCarthy to start in 2025.
McCarthy remains the plan, but there is no need to rush his development with O’Connell’s added job security.
Verdict Still Out on Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
GettyVikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
As the Vikings negotiate the terms of Adofo-Mensah’s extension, there’s reason to believe that there could be some hang-ups in fully tying him to the McCarthy-O’Connell plan.
Minnesota Star Tribune beat reporter Ben Goessling considered Adofo-Mensah to not be in quite as good standing as O’Connell.
“Kwesi’s drafts to this point probably don’t set him up quite as well for that,” Goessling said of a deal of equal length, adding that he doesn’t have the same “leverage” as O’Connell on the “Access Vikings” podcast.
That’s not to say Adofo-Mensah is in the hot seat. He has navigated a “competitive rebuild” of the Vikings’ roster, which never truly sank to a full rebuild.
But since 2022, Adofo-Mensah has turned over almost the entirety of the roster. He’s negotiated several pivotal trades including T.J. Hockenson and Cam Robinson, the latter of which saved Minnesota’s season after Christian Darrisaw went down.
Adofo-Mensah also secured one of the best free-agent classes in franchise history. While Brian Flores had a say in the signings of Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard and Blake Cashman, Adofo-Mensah made the deals happen as overseer of all football operations.
However, Adofo-Mensah’s drafts need to improve if they intend to contend beyond the next few years with more affordable options at quarterback.
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