The Minnesota Vikings and coach Kevin O’Connell agreed to terms on a multiyear contract extension on Tuesday, following a 14-3 regular season that defied external widespread preseason projections of at least a losing record if not a last-place finish in the NFC North.
The Vikings didn’t disclose terms of the deal, which was reached with one year remaining on O’Connell’s existing contract. In three seasons with the Vikings, the 39-year-old O’Connell is 34-17 in the regular season and 0-2 in the playoffs. Most remarkable in 2024 was the career-best season by quarterback Sam Darnold in his debut with Minnesota, after the Vikings moved on from Kirk Cousins and drafted J.J. McCarthy as his eventual replacement.
Darnold became the first starting quarterback in NFL history with 14 wins in his first season with a team since the league began tracking quarterback starts in 1950.
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Darnold, the third overall pick in the 2018 draft who had flamed out with the New York Jets and the Carolina Panthers, established career highs in nearly every statistical category and was voted to his first Pro Bowl team.
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“It is an absolute honor to continue leading the Minnesota Vikings,” O’Connell said in a statement. “Holding this prestigious position is something I never take for granted.”
O’Connell is the first coach in Vikings history with multiple seasons of at least 13 wins and the third in NFL history to notch at least two of them in his first three years. Matt LaFleur had three in a row for the Green Bay Packers (2019-21), and George Seifert (1989-90) had two for the San Francisco 49ers.
“Kevin is exactly who we believed him to be when we named him as our head coach — an innovative play caller, an excellent communicator and a strong leader who motivates and connects with his players,” Vikings owner and president Mark Wilf said. “He has helped establish a culture that positions us for sustained success, and he will continue to set the standard we need as we pursue a championship for Vikings fans.”
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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