Vikings OC Wes Phillips to plead guilty to careless driving, pay $378 fine
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips is expected to plead guilty Friday to an amended charge of careless driving stemming from a Dec. 8 arrest for fourth-degree DWI, according to Hennepin County Court records.
The incident happened just days before the Vikings were to travel to face the Las Vegas Raiders. Phillips, 44, was stopped at about 11 p.m. on Dec. 8 and had a blood alcohol content of .10, above the legal limit for driving in Minnesota.
He posted a $300 bond and was released that night from the Hennepin County Jail. According to the terms of the plea agreement, Phillips will pay $378 in fines and serve eight hours of community service.
Phillips spoke at TCO Performance Center four days after his arrest. He traveled with the team to Las Vegas, a 3-0 win over the Raiders.
"Aside from the standards that I have for myself, I do understand that as a coach in this league, there are certain standards from the NFL and from the Minnesota Vikings. I didn’t live up to those standards. The last thing I would ever want to do is detract from the attention being on the great things that these guys do on the field," Phillips said. "That was unfortunate from me, I do believe in being accountable and learning from your mistakes, accepting whatever discipline may come down the road, and growing from it and going forward with a positive attitude."
Phllips is in his second year as the Vikings' offensive coordinator under Kevin O'Connell.