Live Report: Vikings Eyeing Contract Extensions for Key Front Office Figures Amid Offseason Decisions
The Minnesota Vikings had a promising 2024 season with a 14-win record, but their playoff run ended disappointingly with losses in the final week of the regular season and the wild-card round, dashing their Super Bowl dreams. As the offseason begins, all eyes are now on the team’s key decisions for 2025.
The status of quarterback Sam Darnold will undoubtedly be the defining storyline. Darnold exceeded expectations with his one-year, $10 million deal in 2024, but his poor performances to close the season could impact his market value moving forward. Whether the Vikings apply the franchise tag, strike a multi-year deal, or shift focus to J.J. McCarthy as their new quarterback, the team is looking to maintain continuity across the organization, especially in leadership.
Contract Talks for Head Coach and GM on the Horizon
As the Vikings prepare for key offseason decisions, owner Mark Wilf has confirmed that contract extension talks are on the table for head coach Kevin O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. According to Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune, discussions could begin as early as this week. Both O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah are in their first terms in their current roles, and their contributions have not gone unnoticed.
O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah’s Successes So Far
Under O’Connell’s leadership, the Vikings had a standout 13-4 season in 2022. However, 2024 brought more challenges, including a tough 7-10 record and a significant injury to quarterback Kirk Cousins (Achilles tear). The team opted not to match the Atlanta Falcons’ commitment to Cousins and instead drafted McCarthy in the first round, along with signing Darnold. The latter’s career year helped elevate his market value and bolstered O’Connell’s reputation as one of the NFL’s premier offensive minds.
While extension talks for O’Connell were expected back in December, no discussions had officially begun at that point. O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah are under contract through 2025, but their performance has certainly increased their bargaining power. The Vikings were even faced with rumors of O’Connell being targeted by other teams, but those talks have been firmly shut down.
Vikings’ Path Forward: Stability or Change?
While the Vikings will face stiff competition in the NFC North, keeping the current leadership team intact is a promising strategy for the future. Ensuring stability with O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah could position the team to remain competitive moving forward, though it remains to be seen how quickly extension talks will progress.
Stay tuned as we continue to track the Vikings’ offseason moves and how these pivotal contract negotiations unfold.
