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Is Kevin O'Connell's coaching seat warm? Vikings owner weighs in
Minnesota Vikings co-owner and team president Mark Wilf spoke from training camp on Wednesday and assessed new GM Nolan Teasley. He also talked about Kevin O'Connell's future, landing the 2028 NFL Draft, the quarterback situation and playing in Mexico City.
EAGAN, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota Vikings co-owner and team president Mark Wilf spoke with reporters on Wednesday at training camp, as he does every season.
Wilf addressed several topics in his near 14-minute session, including the team's lack of playoff success since the family took over as owners in 2005. Kevin O'Connell has 43 regular season wins in four years, but no playoff wins. Mike Zimmer led the team to three playoff appearances, getting as far is the NFC Championship Game in 2018, the year U.S. Bank Stadium hosted the Super Bowl.
‘It’s not just playoff wins, but championships'
The backstory:
Wilf was asked about the team's leadership, and the organization's lack of postseason success over the last 20 years. In four seasons with the Vikings, Kevin O’Connell is 43-25 with one division title. But he’s 0-2 in the playoffs, and the Vikings have missed the postseason two of the last three years. The Vikings’ ownership group fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah after last season.
If the Vikings don’t win a playoff game this year, or even make the playoffs, what does the future look like?
"We evaluate everything in a totality. Where Coach O’Connell has brought this entire building and this team to now, we’re extremely pleased. We look forward to great things from coach. Ultimately it’s about not just playoff wins, but championships. That’s the ultimate measure," Wilf said. "We try to be patient as an ownership, but patience isn’t infinite. I feel really good about the direction of this football club. We have a lot of confidence in the leadership of our team."
Wilf thrilled to land 2028 NFL Draft
Why you should care:
The Vikings worked with the City of Minneapolis and did enough in a pitch to land the 2028 NFL Draft. It’s becoming one of the biggest events in sports, and will bring hundreds of thousands of people to the Twin Cities.
"Obviously we’re thrilled to secure the 2028 NFL Draft for Minnesota. That’s a tremendous opportunity for our state, the draft has become one of the league’s premiere events, and hosting it here means hundreds of thousands of fans will descend on this community," Wilf said.
Wilf talks quarterback room
What we know:
The top storyline of training camp is the quarterback competition between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy. Murray shined in Saturday’s practice, the first open to fans at TCO Performance Center.
But as the team enters its seventh practice on Wednesday, neither has stood out enough to be the clear front-runner. Both struggled when the team went to full pads on Monday. We’ll get a clearer picture after the first preseason game.
"I think we have a great quarterback room. Ultimately we defer to Coach O’Connell and Nolan and the entire football team to make decisions. We have all the confidence we’re going to get there," Wilf said.
What we don't know:
Whether Murray or McCarthy wins the job, and when that decision will be made.