Kevin O'Connell is a QB guru. How that happened is best part of his Vikings story
Kevin O'Connell is a QB guru. How that happened is best part of his Vikings story
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QB Sam Darnold reflects on his impressive 2024 season with the Vikings
Seahawks QB Sam Darnold talks about his impressive 2024 season with the Minnesota Vikings.
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Editor's note: This story is a part of a series by USA TODAY Sports called Project: June. We will publish at least one NFL-themed story every day throughout the month because fans know the league truly never sleeps.
It was last December when former tight end Greg Olsen, an announcer on Fox, said something that has become increasingly popular now about Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell. But then, Olsen was one of the first high-profile people to put it so bluntly and publicly.
'If you're starting a franchise and you need a great coach, play-caller, quarterback whisperer," Olsen said, "he might be the guy.'
He probably is the guy. But how did O'Connell get to this point? I've been told by several people who've been around O'Connell that he does this one thing that is increasingly rare in the NFL (and actually in all of society): He listens. He listens extremely well.
O'Connell prepares and works hard but his listening skills are supposedly what distinguishes him from some other coaches. When it comes to formulating a game plan, he accepts input more than the average coach, it seems. He's perhaps mastered the trickiest part of doing the job in that he listens while simultaneously leading.
None of this is to say O'Connell is alone at doing this, but he might be the best at it.
Even the way he handled the Aaron Rodgers situation was impressive. More listening. More good communication. It was a tricky one for O'Connell. He had to navigate what is a friendship between the two men and explore (delicately) the possibility of Rodgers joining the Vikings while simultaneously protecting the interests of J.J. McCarthy.
"When there was an opportunity — when him and I connected this offseason just to kind of talk about what that would look like — we had a lot of great dialogue about it, but it always was centered around what was best not only for the present in the Minnesota Vikings organization, but the future," O'Connell said.
"I was very honest about my feelings towards J.J., my obligation that I felt like we were going to give him the best possible situation to begin and thrive on this NFL journey, and let's see where it goes. We stayed in touch and had some communication," he said. "... Out of respect for our friendship and everything, that's about as much as really kind of happened."
There's also the preparation part of O'Connell's game, and this is where McCarthy, who is taking over the position from Sam Darnold, will also greatly benefit.
Vikings offensive tackle Brian O'Neill once explained O'Connell's attention to detail this way:
'It's always, like, 'Hey, we're going to do this run this way because, later in the game, that's what they're going to see, and the way our formations are, they're going to think it's this, but it's really that,'' O'Neill said a few months ago. 'It's keying players into why we're installing things the way we are, rather than some coaches who call plays and install plays, and the players don't know why.'
Said O'Connell to ESPN: "Coaching, in my opinion, is about what you do in those moments to help make sure that your team improves and players improve. And then doing it in a way that never ever alters their confidence to go get their job done.
"If we're only going to operate the way we want when things are going well, that's a culture that has nothing to do with what we're trying to build here. And luckily, because I think we have great players and we have great people in our locker room and our coaching staff, people have adhered to that being our way of doing things, and it has shown up."
O'Connell was named Coach of the Year in 2024 and in many ways it wasn't just about the season. It could have easily been a lifetime achievement award as he has worked around many quarterbacks and changed their careers for the better. The latest was of course Darnold.
If O'Connell's history continues, McCarthy will be another QB success story for him. Just watch ... and listen.
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