Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is fully focused on their wild card round matchup against the Los Angeles Rams this week, but he responded to a surprising report revolving around him.
During “Fox NFL Sunday,” Jay Glazer reported that several teams are interested in trading for O’Connell, one of the league’s “Coach of the Year” favorites, heading into this offseason.
It’s rare, but yes, teams can trade for coaches, and the offensive-minded O’Connell is someone who is drawing interest from teams that need to fill that void in their organization.
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Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell before the game against the Chicago Bears at US Bank Stadium. (Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images)
However, when asked Monday about the report, O’Connell expressed his desire to stay in Minneapolis.
“I’m not really interested in, I guess I should say, addressing rumors or speculation,” O’Connell told reporters, via the New York Post. “What I can tell you is that I love this team. I love everything about this organization. This is where I want to be. This is where I want to continue coaching and leading.”
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While O’Connell clearly has a preference on where he wants to be, the Wilf family, owners of the Vikings, have “no interest” in trading their head coach, according to ESPN.
O’Connell’s priority is to manage the Rams this coming Monday, a team that handed the Vikings one of their three losses this season. Los Angeles took care of business on their own turf in a 30-20 win over Minnesota in Week 8.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell greets his players before the game against the Atlanta Falcons at US Bank Stadium. (Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images)
O’Connell is also looking to win his first playoff game with the Vikings, since that didn’t happen in 2022 when his team went 13-4 but lost to the New York Giants in the wild card round.
A 7-10 season, which included Kirk Cousins tearing his Achilles tendon midway through, followed in 2023 before O’Connell’s team bounced back under the offensive leadership of Sam Darnold.
This matchup against Rams head coach Sean McVay is familiar considering O’Connell was Los Angeles’ offensive coordinator before being hired by Minnesota.
The Vikings open the weekend as slight favorites against the Rams, but a battle between two teams and two coaches who know each other very well is expected to be a thriller.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell walks onto the field before the game against the Green Bay Packers at US Bank Stadium. (Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images)
And until the Vikings’ Super Bowl run comes to an end, O’Connell’s sole focus will be on the team he wants to stay with either way.
