Kevin O’Connell spent the first three years of his Vikings tenure building a reputation as one of the sharpest offensive minds in football. A year ago, he was getting tagged as a “quarterback whisperer” for getting useful production out of players like Josh Dobbs and Sam Darnold.
Now, after a rough season with J.J. McCarthy at quarterback, it looks like the league has started to forget what O’Connell already proved in Minnesota.
That forgetfulness showed up in The Athletic’s latest ranking of the NFL’s top 10 offensive play callers, which was voted on by defensive coaches. O’Connell landed only as an honorable mention and checked in fifth heading into the 2025 season.
That feels light for a coach who has already shown he can keep an offense moving without a star under center. In O’Connell’s first three seasons, Minnesota finished in the top 10 twice in scoring and twice in yards. He also won games with quarterbacks like Dobbs, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer.
The offense never quite got to elite status, but that’s hard to separate from the quarterback situations he was working with. O’Connell did enough to keep the unit afloat through a stretch where the talent at the position was limited.
At the same time, he isn’t blameless for last year’s McCarthy mess. He was part of the regime that drafted the young quarterback, who had limited collegiate starts, and Minnesota never found a functional offense with McCarthy running it. The numbers tell the story: the Vikings ranked 26th in points, 28th in yards, and 28th in EPA per play.
So yes, there’s room to knock O’Connell down a bit. But leaving him out of the top 10 altogether feels like an overreaction, especially when Klint Kubiak made the list after just one season of work with the Seattle Seahawks. One coach said of Kubiak that he’s “doing a hell of a job designing plays.”
The bigger question is whether O’Connell gets the kind of setup that lets his strengths show again. With a healthy offensive line and better quarterback play, Minnesota has every reason to get back into the league’s top 10 on offense this season.
If that happens, the Vikings coach could make a lot of people look a little silly for doubting him.
In Other News...
Vikings Quarterback Battle Has Taken An Awkward Turn At Camp
Training camp has given the Vikings a quarterback competition with real intrigue, even if the public finish line is still out of view. Kevin OConnell has kept the decision open between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy, and both passers are still taking their turns and trying to make their case as the team moves through practice.
What has made the battle feel a little unusual is the way the two quarterbacks have mostly kept to themselves during those sessions. Limited interaction between Murray and McCarthy has stood out to observers, adding a layer of tension to a competition that already carries plenty of weight for a Minnesota team trying to sort out its direction at the most important position. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Face One Problem That Could Sink Their 2026 Hopes
The Vikings enter 2026 with a roster that looks strong enough to matter, but the closer you look, the more fragile some of the margins appear. The quarterback battle between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy will shape the offense, the health of the offensive line remains a central concern, and Brian Flores is still trying to squeeze as much as possible out of a defense that will need to survive some tricky stretches.
What stands out most is how little room there may be for injuries or regression at several spots. Minnesotas starters can make the team competitive, but the drop-off to the backups is steep enough that the coaching staff may be forced to be nearly perfect in how it manages the roster. If the Vikings are going to turn this into a real run, they may need not just talent, but a long stretch of good health and a staff that can keep every edge from slipping away. [Read more 🡒]