As the regular season came to an end, the Vikings and head coach Kevin O’Connell both shot down the notion that they’d consider a trade that would lead to O’Connell coaching elsewhere in 2025 but the two sides still have to work out if their relationship will continue beyond next season.
O’Connell is heading into the final year of the contract he signed with the team in 2022 and he’s gone 34-17 over his first three seasons in Minnesota. The team has lost both playoff games it has played under O’Connell, but his overall performance would seem to make him someone that the Vikings would like to lock in for some time.
At a Thursday press conference, O’Connell said that he loves being the head coach in Minnesota and said “I do” when asked if he wants to sign an extension this offseason. O’Connell went on to say that he won’t share the specifics of conversations he’s had with the team.
“I’ve had great dialogue with our ownership this week and reflection as the season came to an end,” O’Connell said. “Anything beyond that, I would prefer to kind of keep those discussions internal.”
O’Connell repeated his desire to keep things internal when asked about the timeline he has in mind for getting a deal done. He was also asked if there is “tension” that needs to be addressed before a deal gets done and said he has a “great relationship” to have owners that shows such strong support for the team.
