The Big Lead

The Minnesota Vikings would be foolish to trade head coach Kevin O'Connell

O'Connell has become one of the most promising young coaches in the NFL and teams are hoping to lure him away from Minnesota this offseason.

By Matt Reed

Dec 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell reacts to a penalty for the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
Dec 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell reacts to a penalty for the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
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Multiple teams reportedly are trying to trade for Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell, according to FOX Sports' Jay Glazer.

The Vikings have been one of the NFL's biggest surprises in 2024 after losing first-round pick JJ McCarthy during the offseason to a knee injury. Minnesota has a chance to win the NFC North and gain the number one seed in the NFC on Sunday if they beat the Detroit Lions.

From a Vikings standpoint, there's no reason to believe the team would even entertain a trade for O'Connell, who is one of the youngest coaches in the league at 39 years old. However, it makes sense that other teams would be interested in him considering his ability to get the most out of quarterbacks and the fact that coaching stability around the league has been uncertain.

O'Connell has one year left on his contract with Minnesota after joining the team in 2022. He's managed to bring the Vikings two winning seasons and a record of 34-16.

The Vikings are also a dream situation for a coach like O'Connell, who has Sam Darnold playing the best football of his career and the potential to make McCarthy a top-tier quarterback once he gets back on the field in 2025.

Recently, co-owner Mark Wilf was asked about the futures of O'Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, and Wilf made it clear that both would be with the Vikings for many seasons to come.

Obviously it's not very often that coaches are traded in the NFL, however, it has happened recently when Sean Payton left the New Orleans Saints for the Denver Broncos. The Saints received a reasonably big haul with a first and second round pick in return for Payton back in 2023.

RELATED: The Vikings are playing psychological games with the Lions

Other famous head coaching trades involved big names like Bill Belichick, Herm Edwards and Jon Gruden.

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