Kevin O’Connell Lashing Out at Vikings Reporters was Weird…

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Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell
Credit: Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

I checked the calendar Thursday morning, after watching the replay of Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell’s press conference from Wednesday afternoon. Thankfully, I can confirm that it’s only October 16.

On paper, the Minnesota Vikings are 3-2, with all of their goals and aspirations for the 2025 season still well within reach. Not only that, but this team is coming off their early-season bye, and should feel rested and ready to battle through the remaining 12 games on their schedule.

JJ McCarthy, Carson Wentz - Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

For the past couple weeks, however — pretty much since the halfway point of their European business trip that stretched from week four to week five — the Vikings look and sound more like a team that’s already grinded out a full-length season.

Both Carson Wentz (shoulder) and McCarthy (ankle) practiced Wednesday, though the latter was “limited”. But we saw some of this team’s aforementioned stress boil over yesterday, when O’Connell was asked by media for an update on the starting quarterback situation.

Minnesota Vikings head coach sick and tired of answering QB questions

It’s important to note that Monday, KOC told reporters he did not know whether Carson Wentz or JJ McCarthy would start Sunday against the Eagles. Thus, you would have thought that, when Minnesota’s head coach met with those same media members two days later, he would have been expecting lots of QB questions.

But instead, O’Connell seemed agitated, when the topic was first broached by Judd Zulgad’s (SKOR North), who asked simply, ‘where do things stand at starting QB’. Normally one of the more affable and thoughtful head coach in the league with media, KOC’s response to Judd on Wednesday was the opposite of those things.

Even after ESPN’s Kevin Seifert tried a follow-up regarding how practice reps at practice are being dispersed between the two quarterbacks, O’Connell again replied in short an snippy fashion.

In its entirety, the two question exchange between Kevin O’Connell, Judd Zulgad and Seifert lasted an astonishingly short 25 seconds, which has to be a record for the ordinarily talkative head coach.

Judd: “Where do things stand, as far as your starting QB for Sunday, Kevin?”

KOC: “The stand in the same place they did Monday, when I answered that question.”

Seifert: “How are you handling practice, in terms of reps between Carson and JJ?”

KOC: “Yeah, they’re both going to get work, both going to get reps. And I am very much looking forward to our whole team getting back out there.”

Injuries starting to show cracks in Kevin O’Connell’s armor?

Honestly, I could not believe what I was watching this morning, when I turned on the replay of O’Connell’s presser. I mean, WTF was he expecting when he walked to the podium?

Last I checked, quarterback is the most important position in all of sports. So if your fans do not know who will be under center, that is going to be the obvious topic A. For a head coach as self-aware and empathetic toward media as Kevin O’Connell, the above interaction is downright jarring.

Of course, the Minnesota Vikings’ constant injury issues, week in and week out, through five games are the root cause of this palpable stress and anxiety coming out of TCO Performance Center this week. No team in the league has been as ravaged by injuries at key positions.

In London week five, the MN Vikings played with their backup QB, multiple backup linebackers, only half of their backfield and just one starter on their offensive line. But hey, this roster does look healthier out of the bye, including quarterback.

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