Everyone at the Minnesota Vikings facility can feel the shifting winds. This time, it's not because the stadium's roof is collapsing.
For the first time in eight years, the Vikings will have a quarterback other than Kirk Cousins at the helm of the offense. Minnesota selected Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and signed veteran quarterback Sam Darnold as a stopgap starter.
Darnold is expected to start while McCarthy develops, but the Vikings offense has plenty of weapons for either quarterback. Along with making wide receiver Justin Jefferson the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, the Vikings added running back Aaron Jones to their potent offense during free agency.
Vikings owner raises doubt about HC Kevin O'Connell's future with team
Vikings owner Mark Wilf spoke with reporters on Tuesday during training camp and raised some eyebrows with his comments on the team's leadership. Wilf made it clear that the organization is currently not discussing any contract extensions for head coach Kevin O'Connell or general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, according to The Athletic's Alec Lewis.
“It’s not something we’re talking about at this point,” Wilf said. “We’re focusing on the season ahead.”
Wilf clarified that it's not something he's discussing internally or publicly and also reiterated that the team has "high expectations" for the upcoming season.
Both O'Connell and Adofo-Mensah are entering the third year of their four-year contracts, so they'll still be in Minnesota following the 2024 season barring an unforeseen collapse.
“We have all the confidence hearing what we’re hearing from them, that they’re going about it the right way,” Wilf added. “But at the same time, we have to be — we want to win, but we also try to think long term about the health of the organization. Not just business-wise, but winning. And that’s what our fans want, that’s what we want. We’re trying to build for the long-term.”
O'Connell and Adofo-Mensah joined the Vikings two years ago and they found immediate success in their first year with the team. Minnesota posted a 13-4 record in 2022, which was good enough for the franchise to capture their first NFC North division title since 2017.
The 2023 season didn't go quite as smoothly. Cousins suffered a torn Achilles tendon and the team failed to find its footing. The Vikings ultimately finished with a 7-10 record, third in the NFC North behind the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers.
The emergence of left tackle Christian Darrisaw, along with the additions of McCarthy and first-round defensive end Dallas Turner, provide reason for optimism. Still, if Darnold can't keep the team afloat and McCarthy isn't developing quickly enough, O'Connell could find himself in between a rock and a hard place.