I think the priority first and foremost is giving him time to evaluate our roster with our young players and some of our veteran players and see how pieces may fit, OConnell said. Jul 21 2008 Signed a 4 year $2.46 million contract with New England (NE) Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson put on a show Saturday at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, making history during his highly anticipated workout. That will motivate us to lead this organization to the place we want to go. The Carlsbad, California, native and his wife, Leah, have two sons, Kaden and Kolten, and a daughter, Quinn. It's supposed to hurt. Thielen will turn 33 this summer and incur a $19.9 million cap hit against the Vikings salary cap. The Washington Commanders took Cousins in the []. ", "Kevin is an impressive and respected leader who has been a part of some explosive offensive schemes," said Vikings Owner/Chairman Zygi Wilf. Kentucky's Will Levis, a likely top-10 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, spoke Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine and -- in under 15 minutes -- presented himself as arguably the most self-assured QB in this year's class. "It's so easy from my background to sit in front of a spreadsheet and make decisions and talk about things. Player development at every position is very, very important, OConnell said. Kupp's wide receiver Triple Crown in 2021, which he won after leading the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and touchdowns (16), joined him with WR Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers, 1990), WR Sterling Sharpe (Green Bay Packers, 1992) and WR Steve Smith (Carolina Panthers, 2005) as the only players since the 1970 merger to achieve this feat. O'Connell, who led the Rams to finish ninth in total offense (372.1 yards per game) in 2021, helped his unit rank second in plays of 50-plus yards (10), fourth in yards per play (5.98) and eighth in offensive touchdowns (51) in 2021. However, neither seem like a good option now. The Raiders plan to place the franchise tag on running back Josh Jacobs if the sides cannot come to a deal on a long-term extension by Tuesday's deadline, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Friday. So, ultimately, we didn't accomplish the goals we wanted to accomplish, and I always want to be respectful of that. A necessary condition is having a starter-level quarterback, Adofo-Mensah began. As a four-year captain at San Diego State, O'Connell finished his career after appearing in 40 games while ranking third in completions (664), fourth in passing yards (7,689) and fifth in passing touchdowns (46) in school history. ", "We've shown that we have a culture and an ability to do those things at a really high level," Adofo-Mensah said. Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports. On Wednesday, OConnell said hes hoping that their shared experience in 2022 will help both sides satisfy their needs. Login Here. View images from the Vikings locker room at TCO Performance Center on Monday as players cleaned out their lockers at the end of the 2022-23 season. ", O'Connell said the next step is "a championship standard" and that he wanted to wrap his evaluations and dialogue about the 2022 season the "way it should, with the same type of connection" with players and the "foundational building blocks of what we want to be. The obvious answer? "He has a tremendous football IQ and is passionate about preparing, developing and communicating with his players. Similarly to his GM one day earlier, the Vikings head coach couldnt make a strong statement about what the future would hold at QB. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. He had been placed on the injured reserve list. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. Right. Adofo-Mensah admitted his elevation to GM brought him more exposure to the human elements than when he was advancing through the research-and-development departments with the 49ers and Browns. Kevin O'Connell had some interesting things to say about the direction the Minnesota Vikings want to go as they look ahead to the 2023 NFL season. O'Connell played quarterback at San Diego State University, and was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. 1 in other areas before hiring OConnell and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, particularly with a different attitude toward players and increased focus on sports science in the training room. The Vikings tried to identify another quarterback when trading up for Teddy Bridgewater in 2014. O'Connell is the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, so he can't officially become the Vikings' new head coach until after the Super Bowl. That was somebody that was as important as anybody for me to bring to this organization I didnt know there was going to be a survey, it didnt matter to me, but I knew what that would look like with Tyler, Kwesi and myself and how we build things.. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. During the 2018 season, O'Connell was tasked with getting three different quarterbacks (Josh Johnson, Colt McCoy and Mark Sanchez) up to speed following a devastating injury to starting QB Alex Smith. 2023 Minnesota Vikings Football, LLC , All Rights Reserved. You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 season! Cousins is entering the final year of his contract, and NFL Networks Tom Pelissero reported earlier in the week that he would not anticipate the type of one-year, fully-guaranteed extensions that the 35-year-old has signed in the past. "Unbelievable talent. Looking back on Vikings history, they have stumbled trying to find a franchise quarterback. Certainly the facilities would have gotten an A+ last year but its hard to imagine they would have ranked No. Its just not possible when sitting $24 million over the cap (per OverTheCap.com) to bring all the veterans back. But even if he didnt injure his knee at Winter Park, its fair to wonder if he would have ever become the long-term franchise quarterback. In addition to helping QB Jared Goff to his fourth consecutive season with at least 3,800 passing yards and 20 touchdowns in 2020, O'Connell prepared QB John Wolford for a win-and-in game against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17, helping him pass for 231 yards and rush for 56 more in his NFL debut, while leading the Rams to a 18-7 victory and a playoff berth. Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on the futures of Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson. Under the guidance of O'Connell, Rams QB Matthew Stafford and WR Cooper Kupp both had career years in 2021. The idea. Kevin is currently the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and his salary is $84 million for three years. Right comes along. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. Coming off a Super Bowl LVI victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, O'Connell joins the Vikings after serving as the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams the past two seasons. But Kevin O'Connell's comments later in the week made it sound like something bigger was in the works. Conversely, when the Vikings ran for zero or negative yards on first down, something they did more than any other team in the league aside from the Jaguars, they would then be fighting uphill. OConnell said he values the way the aforementioned players embraced his hiring last year and appreciates the way they helped bring about an entirely new culture. He and Adofo-Mensah greet each prospect when they enter the room both to establish their culture of care and provide other Vikings staffers in the room a glimpse at the players size. The 2020 Rams offense featured the 10th-ranked rushing attack, posting 126.1 yards per game on the ground, behind two 600-plus rushing seasons from RB Cam Akers and RB Darrell Henderson. But the. Florida's Anthony Richardson, one of the draft's most intriguing QB prospects, told reporters on Friday that in high school he modeled his game after two notable passers: Cam Newton and Lamar Jackson. But it was part of the process to find a long-term solution. I know this guy next to me and myself will lead and push and drive, because we don't want to feel this way, this early, ever again. Aug 30 2009 Released by New England. We're still feeling that here, but I will say that hurt, that sting, that will drive us. Minnesota Vikings new head coach Kevin O'Connell takes over a club that missed the postseason the past two seasons with losing records and hasn't won the NFC North since 2017. The Minnesota Vikings named Kevin O'Connell as the 10th head coach in franchise history on Feb. 16, 2022. Even as other quarterbacks such as Willis, Desmond Ridder, and Sam Howell were there in the latest rounds of the draft, the Vikings didnt pull the trigger. Will that happen? One element of his teams play that must improve? When Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stepped up to the podium at the NFL Scouting Combine, he had several questions to answer about the Minnesota Vikings future. Visit NFL.com's transaction hub for a daily breakdown. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. Anchored by T Andrew Whitworth, the oldest offensive lineman in the NFL, the Rams offensive line only allowed 56 sacks in the two years O'Connell was in Los Angeles, which was good for the seventh-fewest among NFL clubs. Vikings fans should be excited for the future of this team under Kevin's direction. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. Facebook Twitter Some believe that is too rich for an aging playmaker and have subsequently speculated about Thielen's fate in 2023. I am committed to working tirelessly to bring them a Super Bowl championship.". But Minnesota watched as Cam Newton, Jake Locker, and Blaine Gabbert flew off the board. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings. But in Kevin OConnells case on Wednesday, he was able to beam about the Vikings culture after an NFL Players Association survey showed proof that he made good on the cultural promises he made at the last NFL Combine. Sure, it may not be good as a fresh bowl of General Tsaos Chicken, but it beats not having Chinese food at all. There are a few fundamental things that will influence decisions, starting with whether Cousins signs an extension. If not, they could ride Cousins another year and try their luck to acquire their guy in 2024. His teammates voted him as a captain for what he means not only to our organization but the Twin Cities. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Doing so could mean some hard decisions on key contributors from last season like Dalvin Cook, Eric Kendricks, ZaDarius Smith and others. O'Connell's father, Bill, was a longtime FBI agent, and his mother, Suzanne, is a teacher. Theres a lot of different directions you can go, OConnell said, and (each decision) affects another one and another one. Its still something I think about often, OConnell said of the loss to the Giants. Kupp, who was named The Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year at last week's NFL Honors, had one of the best receiving seasons in NFL history, leading the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and receiving touchdowns (16), earning AP First Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. The Minnesota Vikings named Kevin O'Connell as the 10th head coach in franchise history on Feb. 16, 2022. . O'Connell was signed by the San Diego Chargers on July 29, 2012, to serve as an emergency back-up in the Chargers' practices with Charlie Whitehurst suffering an injury and Kyle Boller announcing his retirement from the league. Adofo-Mensah had to explain how the Vikings, a team in salary cap hell, were going to shed salary while building off the team's first 13-win season since 2017. . None of that is to say OConnell is not evaluating quarterbacks in this years draft. Sure, there were unsightly losses along the way, including a couple of regular-season defeats to Philadelphia and Dallas teams that each won 12 plus in the regular season and have advanced to the Divisional Round of the NFC Playoffs. Scouting Combine live updates Top 150 free agents Beat writer . You do hope it was a perfect world where you can have everybody and have everybody finish their careers where they should and feel great about it, but its just so hard to do and still build for the future the way the rules are set up, OConnell said. For O'Connell to coach Jefferson for a "really long time," the star receiver will need a contract extension. And in 2022, Cousins is scheduled to cost the Vikings $45 million on their salary cap. Ive been very honest about that. But the biggest question on everybodys mind was what they were going to do with Kirk Cousins. He played one season for the Patriots behind QB Matt Cassel following a season-ending injury to QB Tom Brady. He reiterated that he is proud of the way Cousins played in 2022 and is looking forward to seeing the 34-year-old build on things in 2023. What he means to our league, how he carries himself, how he works every day. "He understands what is critical to leading a team that wins at the highest level, and he has an ability to simplify the complex, which will help us in problem-solving in all football areas. None of that means anything for what we do moving forward if we dont grow and evolve and change in a good capacity, OConnell said. Pelissero noted that Brown, who interviewed for the Miami Dolphins head coaching position, is considered a "rising assistant" and is a candidate to replace O'Connell in Los Angeles. OConnell did note that safety Lewis Cine was ahead of schedule in his rehab from a severe leg injury suffered in London last season and that Cine has been at TCO Performance Center making regular stop-ins to his office. "One of them said that she had been a long-time Vikings fan and always felt let down, and this team felt different to her," Adofo-Mensah said. Understanding the goals of culture and the goals of building up through our leadership and setting a foundation and platform for every individual in this building to feel like they can thrive and grow and eventually reach their truest, highest potential. Thats the byproduct of trying to do things the way we do. In addition to impacting the culture within the building through an emphasis on building connectivity across the roster, the Vikings installed O'Connell's offense with Offensive Coordinator Wes Phillips, a defensive system led by Defensive Coordinator Ed Donatell and changed their special teams under first-year coordinator Matt Daniels. [12] Following his departure, O'Connell found that he had a torn labrum in his throwing arm, an injury he sustained during the preseason. So have expectations going forward, until "someday" can become "the day.". The Vikings head coach compared all of the moving parts to puzzle pieces but its more like a choose-your-own-adventure book because each choice with Player X impacts Player Y and the combination of all of the decisions takes you to a different endpoint. How OConnell and the front office maneuver through these personnel decisions to counteract the way defenses have played them could well become a key story in 2023. He called conversations ongoing about Cousinss future. In addition to helping QB Jared Goff to his fourth consecutive of at least 3,800 passing yards and 20 touchdowns in 2020, O'Connell prepared QB John Wolford for a win-and-in game against the Cardinals in Week 17, helping him pass for 231 yards and rush for 56 more in his NFL debut, while leading the Rams to a 18-7 victory and a playoff berth. Under O'Connell, Rams quarterbacks have thrown for 1,517 passing yards (third in NFL), 11 touchdowns (fourth in NFL) and a 106.4 passer rating in playoff games (second in NFL). "We have to make sure we do it in an order that we can do it in given all the other decisions we have to make.". Before the Super Bowl, Thielen said onESPNsFirst Take, I want to retire a Viking. The New England Patriots selected O'Connell with their fourth pick (94th overall) in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft.