Jets Conspiring a Coup of Multiple Minnesota Vikings Top Coaches and Executives?

Brian Flores, Josh McCown - Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are trying to shift into offseason mode, after their 27-9 Wild Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday. It’s a mental shift that isn’t easy for a 14 win team that wasn’t prepared for an early 1st round playoff exit.

But as the legendary Tracy Lawrence once sang, “time marches on” and reality will hit every level of the organization eventually. Some will feel it quicker than others, though. Just look at the Vikings players, coaches and front office executives who will immediately turn their focus toward leaving for another job. Those guys have no choice but to swallow the L quickly, and move on.

Minnesota Vikings have multiple coaches and executives interviewing for new jobs

Then, when we look between the lines, half of the Minnesota Vikings roster is due for free agency. Who will be tasked with talking to those free agents or scouting/finding replacements? The answer to that question isn’t clear either, with senior vice president of player personnel Ryan Grigson going through an interview process with the New York Jets for their vacant GM job.

Ryan Grigson - Minnesota Vikings executive
Credit: Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

We haven’t even gotten to the multitude of coaches who have line up outside interviews, including (DC) Brian Flores, (QB Coach) Josh McCown, (WR Coach) Keenan McCardell and (Asst OC) Grant Udinski. Kevin O’Connell trade rumors are out there too, but that’s for another article.

But the biggest concern over at TCO Performance Center, surrounding all these outside interviews, may not be the total number of coaches and execs that other teams are interested in. Instead, they may be more worried about the one team that has interviewed or has interviews scheduled with most of them.

New York Jets planning a coup in Minnesota?

According to Connor Hughes, of New York Regional Sports Network “SNY”, there is increasing chatter happening within NFL insider circles — and growing concern inside of TCO Performance Center — that the New York Jets are planning a coup within the Minnesota Vikings organization.

Per Hughes, this conspiracy theory becoming truth would mean the hiring of Ryan Grigson as Jets GM, Brian Flores as Jets head coach and Josh McCown as Jets offensive coordinator.

There’s a lot of buzz going around league circles right now regarding a Ryan Grigson (general manager), Brian Flores (head coach), and Josh McCown (offensive coordinator) pairing. A source in Minnesota actually said that’s been talked about within their building.

Connor Hughes – SNY

The New York insider makes it clear in his piece that this “buzz” is coming from NFL insider circles, and even from inside the Vikings organization, but that he does not have any steam from the Jets that this is the plan. So (technically), we do not know if a Vikings coup is in their realistic plans.

Related: ESPN Insider Predicts Vikings DC Brian Flores’ New Head Coaching Job

But given that the Jets have requested, or already conducted interviews with most of the above Minnesota Vikings employees, you have to imagine the discussion of hiring all Vikings coaches and executives for their top vacancies is one that has been had in New Jersey too. It’s only logical.

Rick Spielman revenge involved in New York Jets decisions?

Wanna go a little deeper down this conspiratorial rabbit hole? Just take a peek at the former NFL executives who have been contracted by Jets owner Woody Johnson to lead the GM and head coach searches for New York…

These are league sources speculating on what they’ve heard regarding the Jets vacancy, not a Jets source telling me what they are going to do. Woody Johnson, Christopher JohnsonHymie Elhai (team president), Mike Tannenbaum (33rd Team), and Rick Spielman (33rd Team) are the ones in and conducting these interviews.

Connor Hughes – SNY

If rumors were to become reality, this would be a shrewd football move that many would lawd for the Jets. It’s also one that would strip the Vikings of three very important pieces to their 2024 success. Is this something that we should be legitimately concerned about?

Well, I’d say if those inside the Minnesota Vikings organization are concerned, then we probably should at least have the possibility on our radars too.

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