Kevin O'Connell, Minnesota Vikings
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(Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Vikings are hoping to avoid a second straight season without playoff football. However, if the team misses the playoffs again, should question marks start popping up about the future of head coach Kevin O’Connell?
O’Connell will have to make a huge decision before the start of the 2026 NFL season, as the Vikings will have a QB battle between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy. Nonetheless, if neither signal-caller gets Minnesota back to the playoffs, should this cost O’Connell his job?
Former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman doesn’t believe that the Vikings would fire their head coach if the situation with either Murray or McCarthy doesn’t work out.
“It’s going to be a revival of a season for this offense,” Sherman said in aMarch 17 video from “The Richard Sherman Podcast.” “I think people wonder, ‘Oh man, is Kevin O’Connell on the hot seat?’ He’s not. I wouldn’t imagine so. If he’s on the hot seat, every organization, including some of the ones that just hired coaches,are going to be with their finger over the fire button if Kevin O’Connell becomes available.
“I don’t think the Minnesota Vikings are looking to do that. I think they understand what they have in him and the value, and I know it hasn’t necessarily ended up in a lot of success in the postseason and Super Bowls and all that, but I mean, just a season ago with Sam Darnold, you won 14 games. So, let’s not act like it hasn’t shown itself.”
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Nonetheless, Sherman believes that if Murray does become the Vikings’ QB and proves to be a competent starter for Minnesota,then he believes O’Connell will have success in 2026.
“With competent quarterback play, [O’Connell has]shown that he could have success with this team and in this division, in a division that’s only getting better,” Sherman added. “… I don’t feel like [Murray has] been in an offense like this that is really well suited to his talents.
“Kevin O’Connell is going to create a system that really emphasizes the things that Kyler does well. It certainly is an intriguing fit, and I meanwe’ve seen these resurgences of veteran quarterbacks now that didn’t work out with their first team.”
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On March 16, Kay Adams had a positive outlook on Murray, believing he will edge out McCarthy to be the Vikings’ starting QB.
“I do like it more and more and more,”Adams said on “Up & Adams.” “It’s the kind of move that you wanted them to make last year withAaron Rodgers. They took a bit of a swing here, low risk, high reward.
“I know there’s plenty we all are demanding to see from the talented Kyler Murray, but the ceiling is, they’re going to blow the roof off this thing. We’ve seen flashes of it. We’re not absolving Kyler of responsibility for the lack of team success during his time in Arizona…
“I’m excited for a bit of a fresh start here, a roster that is built to win. Now, with that comes, and with a Coach of the Year offensive mastermind in KOC as a play caller, as a leader in this league, and a terrifying defense, there’s a lot of pressure. Kyler is not going to fly under the radar on this team.”