The Minnesota Vikings took a big chance on Kevin O’Connell when they hired him to be their head coach.
Not only did he not have previous experience, but he was also expected to fill some big shoes.
Fast forward to this season, and the former offensive coordinator has proven to be one of the best in the business.
He’s done a lot with a little, and he’s got a team that most analysts predicted would land at the bottom of the NFC North instead on the way to the playoffs.
That’s why it’s fully expected O’Donnell will get a contract extension at some point.
However, there reportedly hasn’t been any talk regarding that as of yet.
“The expectation is that the Vikings will offer O’Connell a contract extension — 2025 is the final year of his current deal — though at this point, there have been no discussions,” Dianna Russini of The Athletic wrote, via VikingzFanPage.
As of right now, there have been no discussion of a new contract extension between the #Vikings and HC Kevin O’Connell, but the expectation is that they will offer him one in the foreseeable future, @DMRussini stated via @TheAthletic.
“The expectation is that the Vikings will… pic.twitter.com/S8R32PYLlC
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) December 7, 2024
With one season remaining on his current contract, the Vikings don’t need to rush to get a deal done.
O’Connell has established a quarterback-friendly offensive system, helping Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold be the best version of themselves.
He’s also been one of the best head coaches in the league when it comes to winning on the road.
The organization likely will evaluate how he fares in the playoffs, but even if the Vikings were to collapse or go home in the first round in a bad way, it’s hard to imagine them not giving O’Connell a sizeable and long-term extension.
