Kevin O’Connell has built a Vikings staff that’s starting to draw attention beyond Minnesota, and one of the names getting the most buzz is quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator Josh McCown.
The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue recently pegged McCown as a breakout candidate for the Vikings’ 2026 season, and the interest around him is only growing. As Rodrigue wrote, "McCown is another assistant coach who drew some buzz at the league meetings, and there will be a lot of scrutiny on him this season with veteran free-agent addition Kyler Murray now on the roster alongside third-year quarterback JJ McCarthy.
That could easily shift to interest, and then excitement, should Murray play as well as many are expecting him to under McCown, coach Kevin O’Connell and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips.
A league source also noted the addition by O’Connell of former Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith as the assistant head coach - pointing to a possible internal effort to overhaul and improve Minnesota’s run game."
McCown has already had teams take a look at him for bigger roles. He has interviewed with the Houston Texans and the New York Jets, and this season could determine whether he lands in the head coach conversation for real or moves into the offensive coordinator lane.
The challenge in front of him is a big one: getting Kyler Murray back to Pro Bowl form or helping salvage J.J. McCarthy’s career.
McCarthy’s struggles last season didn’t land much of the blame on McCown. Most of that pointed toward former Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah for making the pick. Even so, Minnesota still finished 9-8, and McCarthy showed real progress over his final four starts.
McCown’s track record gives him a case. His work with Sam Darnold in 2024 helped revive Darnold’s NFL career, which led to Darnold signing with the Seattle Seahawks last offseason and winning the Super Bowl with them.
Inside the Vikings building, plenty of people are under pressure to deliver. McCown may be the one who can turn that pressure into a career jump. If Murray or McCarthy has a big season, McCown could become one of the hottest names in the offseason coaching cycle.
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