The Minnesota Vikings and head coach Kevin O’Connell agreed to a multi-year contract extension on Tuesday, ending all discussion of a potential trade.
Terms were not immediately available but the extension reportedly makes O’Connell one of the highest-paid coaches in the NFL.
After locking in O’Connell, the Vikings turn their attention to general Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Like O’Connell, Adofo-Mensah signed a four-year contract when the Vikings hired him in 2022 and thus has one year remaining on his deal.
O’Connell was not made available for comment Tuesday. In a statement released by the team, he said in part: “It is an absolute honor to continue leading the Minnesota Vikings. Holding this prestigious position is something I never take for granted, and I want to express my sincere gratitude to the Wilf family for their unwavering belief in what we are building together.”
O’Connell, 39, joined the Vikings after a two-year stint as the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator. He has a record of 34-17 with two playoff appearances and is one of three coaches in NFL history to record multiple 13-win seasons in his first three seasons. The others are the Green Bay Packers’ Matt LaFleur and the San Francisco 49ers’ George Seifert.
But while LaFleur and Seifert both had the benefit of a Hall of Fame quarterback, O’Connell won 13 games with Kirk Cousins in 2022 and 14 games with Sam Darnold in 2024. The Vikings will entrust him to develop J.J. McCarthy, the No. 10 pick of last year’s draft, as their long-term starter.
