ORLANDO, Fla. — As they navigate a franchise-altering quarterback transition, the Minnesota Vikings have been cautious to maintain a very powerful participant on their roster absolutely knowledgeable.
Talking Monday on the NFL’s annual assembly, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell mentioned he has had common check-ins with star vast receiver Justin Jefferson this offseason and located him “excited” in regards to the potential of contributing to the mentorship of a younger quarterback. Extra importantly, O’Connell mentioned he doesn’t consider that Jefferson must know the result of the crew’s plans earlier than signing a contract extension that the perimeters have been negotiating for greater than a yr.
“Needing to know and being part of a collaborative course of, which Justin is, are two various things,” O’Connell mentioned. “I’ve felt very strongly about maintaining him knowledgeable. He is been within the loop. He is been conscious. He is allowed to articulate issues to me through our relationship, and that is actually been by this entire course of.”
Jefferson had a robust relationship with former quarterback Kirk Cousins. He mentioned in the course of the season that Cousins’ return in 2024 could be “excellent,” however stopped wanting insisting on it. Cousins signed a four-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons that included way more absolutely assured cash than the Vikings’ supply, and the Vikings responded by signing veteran Sam Darnold and turning their consideration to the 2024 draft.
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Jefferson hasn’t spoken publicly about Cousins’ departure, however O’Connell mentioned there was fixed communication behind the scenes in regards to the crew’s plans.
“Look, the issues that Kirk and Justin have been capable of do over these final couple years, that is what I can communicate to,” O’Connell mentioned. “Having been right here with these guys once they’ve performed collectively, they’ve executed quite a lot of actually particular issues and that is not misplaced on me and that is not misplaced on Justin. However Justin … did step right into a management position final yr. He turned a first-time captain. I feel he is enthusiastic about that, what which means for him transferring ahead, actually being a pillar of management in our group and that is how I deal with him.
“That is how our conversations and our communication go and I feel the quarterback place, the trail that we will go, I feel he is enthusiastic about attending to spend a while and work with Sam along with our different quarterbacks after which what this might appear to be to perhaps be part of serving to mentor a younger quarterback.
“I feel it is a fairly particular time and I do know Justin’s it like that as effectively, and my hope is we get his contract executed and brought care of and he continues to be that pillar, that pillar of management that I take a look at him as inside our crew.”
Earlier this month, the Vikings acquired the No. 23 general choose from the Houston Texans to present themselves choices as they think about a possible commerce up from their unique spot at No. 11 general. Normal supervisor Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has mentioned “there is a most popular situation” for a way subsequent month’s draft will play out, however O’Connell joined him Monday in noting that the crew cannot merely will itself to maneuver up.
“There’s rather a lot that goes into that,” O’Connell mentioned. “We want one other crew to be complicit in that motion to go get a kind of guys, if that finally ends up being the plan. However I’m excited to form of see this course of by and see if we will doubtlessly add our quarterback sooner or later to that room.”
To that finish, O’Connell mentioned he has spent vital time structuring his teaching employees for the potential for working with Darnold whereas additionally creating a rookie quarterback. O’Connell will switch a few of his weekly duties to offensive coordinator Wes Phillips in order that he can spend extra time with quarterbacks alongside new place coach Josh McCown.
O’Connell will proceed to name performs on recreation day.
“I need to be an extension of the quarterback improvement in our constructing,” O’Connell mentioned. “I need to play a significant position and a think about that as a result of it is one thing that I like greater than something, and being able to have an effect on that place is one thing which means rather a lot to me.”
