Episode Description
Minnesota Tim discusses the recent contract extension of Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell, addressing media speculation and the implications for the team's future. He emphasizes the Vikings' commitment to retaining top talent and reflects on O'Connell's coaching performance, the team's past season, and the expectations moving forward as they build a competitive roster.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
Welcome into the show today. This is a Minnesota Vikings
podcast by Minnesota Tim And while you're here, while I
have your immediate attention, hit that subscribe button right there
right in that corner screen.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Please and thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
And if you're listening on Apple or Spotify, please rate,
review and follow the show. Wherever you are listening Apple
or Spotify, iHeart Google wherever it is. Thank you for
making this podcast a part of your day. This podcast
is one hundred percent honest, one hundred percent of the time,
and it does not back down ever from my real
(00:47):
thoughts on anything. So let's dive into it. The big
topic today that came across the feed yesterday afternoon is
that the minute the set of Vikings and Kevin O'Connell
have agreed to a multi year contract extension.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Here's the tweet by Ian Rapaport.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
The Vikings and Coach of the Year candidates Kevin O'Connell
have agreed to terms on a blockbuster multi year extension
that keeps him in Minnesota for years to come. Per
Me and Tom Pelisarro, the future is bright for the
Vikings and O'Connell is a big part of it. All
the speculation, all the reports that the Minnesota Vikings might
(01:39):
not be able to retain their head coach Kevin O'Connell
was never true, and I said that.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
A week ago.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
The Minnesota Vikings were never going to let Kevin O'Connell
walk out that door. Because here's the thing about the
Minnesota Vikings. The Minnesota Vikings take care of their people.
They try to take care of Kirk Cousins. He didn't
want any part of it. He bet on himself. They
took care of Justin Jefferson. They are taking care of
(02:14):
Kevin O'Connell. The Minnesota Vikings do not let the elite
people walk out those doors without a contract extension. And
another contract extension is coming for their general manager very
very soon. So Jake Lazer coming with the report about
(02:35):
multiple teams being interested in Kevin O'Connell, that report doesn't
bother me because that one was true.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Of course, teams are going to be interested in Kevin O'Connell.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
The part that bothers me about that report is that
it's an obvious report.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
There's nothing.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Unknown about a team that needs to fill a head
coaching vacancy wanting one of the best head coaches in
the NFL. If you ask those organizations, they would say
the same thing about Andy Reid. We would love to
have Andy Reid on our team. Is Andy Reid leaving
the Chiefs?
Speaker 2 (03:12):
No? Is Kevin O'Connell leaving the Vikings. No.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
So the report would be valid about any elite head
coach in the NFL. But he just placed Kevin O'Connell's
name on it, and somehow it becomes more interesting.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
It's garbage. Of course, it's going.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
To be something that other teams are interested in, but
it's not something that the Minnesota Vikings were ever interested in.
And my favorite Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Earlier
in the day, he released an article on his website
with the title, the clock keeps ticking on a Kevin
(03:54):
O'Connell extension and potential trade destinations will inevitable. You be
evaporating without a new deal. He'll be a free agent
after the twenty twenty five season. Less than five hours later,
this article was posted at eleven o three. Kevin O'Connell
(04:18):
and the Minnesota Vikings came to terms on a contract extension,
and it was reported by the big boys in the NFL.
Here's the problem with the speculation articles. Mike Florio is
an NBC voice. He has this massive website that so
(04:43):
many people flock to, and a lot of his speculation.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Is source based.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Like last offseason, he was a part of the rigade
that talked about the Minnesota Vikings being interested or looking
into the idea of trading Justin Jefferson, him along with
Charlie Walters of the Pioneer Press, when again that was
(05:15):
never ever true. It was true that other teams were
interested in Justin Jefferson, just like it was true that
other teams were interested in trading for Kevin O'Connell. But
there's a massive difference between other teams being interested in
Kevin O'Connell or Justin Jefferson, then the Minnesota Vikings being
(05:39):
interested in trading either of those two centerpieces of the organization.
So I see this stuff and it's a straight bs.
Because the NFL offseason is a long off season, and
it's full of speculation. It's full of rumors that don't
(06:01):
even happen. But because it's so long, a lot of
these things come up, and a lot of people throw
out thirst traps to get people to flock to their site,
get people to flock to their opinions, and this is
one of those things, because there's a difference between saying
(06:24):
that you know there could be tension there, or it's
my belief that there could be tension there. But because
you're florio and you have a lot of sources and
you've been doing this for so long, it comes across as.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Completely out of nowhere. Well that's not true.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
It comes across as something that has credit, credence. It
comes across as something that has credibility, and then it doesn't.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
It never did.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
So the Minnesota Vikings were never gonna trade Kevin O'Connell.
And here's some statements by Kevin O'Connell and the Vikings organization.
I'll read it along to you guys can follow along
with me. Here's what it says. It's an absolute honor
to continue leading the Minnesota Vikings. Holding this prestigious position
(07:21):
is something and never taken for granted. And I want
to express my sincere gratitude to the Will family for
their unwavering belief in what we are building together. I
also want to thank Leah and our incredible children that
love and support allow me to perform this job at
a high level. And none of this would be possible
without the dedication of our coaches, players and support staff.
I can't wait to get back to work with all
(07:42):
of them as we continue to build upon the high
standard we set and the positive environment we've created. To
Vikings fans, you are the best in the NFL. There's
no greater joy than leading our team in front of
you each Sunday and experiencing the home field advantage you create.
I'm thrilled for the years ahead and will continue to
give you everything I have as we pursue a Super
(08:02):
Bowl for the state of Minnesota. Nice statement, nothing surprising
about it. I will be interested to see what his
contract numbers come in at, because Ben Johnson got thirteen
million dollars a year to be the head coach of
the Chicago Bears, and it appears that Kevin O'Connell would
(08:26):
get more than that, and some of the big boys
in the NFL get more. Andy Reid gets more, Sean
Payne got more. They're like, you're looking at like eighteen
twenty million.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Dollars a year.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
And the thing about coaches in the NFL is that
you can pay them as much money as you want,
because it doesn't affect the salary cap, So give out
that money, give out that change. Minnesota Vikings owner Mark
Wilf made this statement.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Kevin is exactly.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Who we believed him to be when we named him
as our head coach and vative play caller, an excellent
communicator and a strong leader who motivates and connects with
his players. He has helped establish a culture that positions
us for sustained success, and he will continue to set
the standard we need as we pursue a championship for
(09:17):
the Vikings. So another nice statement by a Minnesota Vikings owner,
which I'm sure he was not the one to write
that statement. I'm sure the other PR guy read that
statement for him.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
But good things.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
And and I'm thinking about Kevin O'Connell's run with the Vikings.
His first year thirteen and four, his last season fourteen
and three, his mid season seven and ten, and.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
He's been a special coach for the Minnesota Vikings.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
And so many people want to point out that he's
zero and two in the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Thirteen and four, record oh and one, fourteen and three,
record oh and one.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
The Minnesota Vikings roster still has so many imperfections. Two
three years ago, the Vike Minnesota Vikings defense stunck ed
Donald Tell was terrible. The Vikings defense was getting cooked
(10:21):
by Daniel Jones. There's no other way around that. Last year,
the Vikings sustained injuries that were impossible to overcome. And
this season fourteen and three with Sam Donald. And I've
(10:41):
got to be careful because when you have a record
like fourteen and three, you set the standard and you
changed the expectations to being a team that could win
the Super Bowl. But it's still true that at the
end of the day, he did it with Sam Donald.
And when you look at the playoff performance from Donald
(11:05):
versus the Rams, and Donald's performance against the Lions of
the week, prior receivers are running wide open. Donald's holding
out of the ball too long. He's seeing ghosts.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
He is.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Not locked in is adrenaline. His nerves were impossible to defeat.
Donald was not the same Donald that he was mid season.
And how can you put that on Kevin O'Connell's play calling.
He took a roster that was expected over under to
(11:45):
win six and a half games this year, he more
than doubled that with fourteen wins with a guy that's
on his fourth team in seven seasons, So I'm a
big fan believer of the team changes expectations and changes
the standards to winning a playoff game or potentially being
(12:08):
a Super Bowl contender. But at the end of the day,
it was Sam Donald, and before the season started, the
Minnesota Vikings were not Super Bowl contenders, far from it,
and to be in the position that they were at
the end of the season was incredible.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
So the season at some point in.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Time was a success because they were not expected to
be in the scenario that they were in, and losing
to the Rams was disappointing, I'm sure for everyone in
that Vikings organization because fourteen and three became meaningless.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
But at the end of.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
The day, they put themselves in a position to have
a chance to win playoff football games with Sam Donald,
with Aaron Jones, with guys that nobody in the NFL wanted.
The Viking signed Aaron Jones to a one year deal.
The Vikings signed Sam Donald to.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
A one year deal. They did this with guys that
were seeking deals.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
Packers let him walk, nine ers let Donald walk. No
one wanted to design him to a one year to
ten million dollar deal. It is not the Vikings. Aaron Jones.
Nobody wanted to decide him to a multi year deal,
not even the Vikings, and they're fourteen and three. The
Kevin o'coddam test starts now with the cap space, with
(13:41):
JJ McCarthy stepping into a QB one role, his coaching
abilities can be fully assessed. Now you can put the
roster together that you want. You can sign interior officsite linemen,
(14:03):
you can bring in defensive guys. You still have your
first overall pick. Now, Kevin O'Connell and the Minnesota vaki's
organization can be fully ripped or congratulated because they can
assemble the roster that they want.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
There's no more excuses.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
You have the ability to sign guys, to draft guys
that you want in that organization.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
There's no more all we got to wait for our quarterback.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
There's no more Oh, just next year when we get
off an off season cap space.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
That doesn't apply anymore.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Now that you sign a multi year deal, you've got
your quarterback in place.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
You can sign whoever, draft whoever you want.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Now the judgment can come fully on you, and there's
no stopping the fire chance if you don't perform, to
the level that they feel like you should perform to.
So those are my takes today. Thank you for watching,
Thank you for making this podcast a part of your day.
(15:18):
I hope you felt that this was honest, because I
felt it was honest. Appreciate you going on this podcast
and journey with me.