Vikings could finally lose wide receiver guru

The past few seasons Justin Jefferson and other teammates have made it known how much they appreciate wide receiver coach Keenan McCardell. They may soon have to deal with life after him, however. Darren “Doogie” Wolfson is reporting that interest in his services is picking up.

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“He remains hopeful that he’ll be in the mix for one of these OC (offensive coordinator) jobs. Depending on how these head coaching openings shake out. You think about the possibility of [Brian] Flores and [Josh] McCown interviewing for head coaching jobs. Ryan Grigson in the front office interviewing for the Jets GM job, he’s hopeful to come up for the Tennessee job as well. You think about somebody like Keenan McCardell, he’s ready to be a play caller. Something to keep an eye on.”

Darren Wolfson on Keenan McCardell’s coaching future (Skor North)

Right now Kevin O’Connell calls plays for the Minnesota Vikings. Despite employing Wes Phillips as an offensive coordinator, the head coach isn’t likely to give up that responsibility any time soon. That limits the upward trajectory within the organization for someone like McCardell.

It has been known that McCardell would like to call plays. If Flores goes somewhere, he could bring an offensive mind that has been in the building to work that side of the ball on his new team. The 55-year-old is an emerging talent on that side of the ball.

During his playing career McCardell spent six of his sixteen years with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was a two-time Pro-Bowl talent, and won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Bucanneers.

The entire coaching carousel won’t be figured out until after the Minnesota Vikings season ends. The hope would be that we are multiple weeks from that, and O’Connell can best his former employer on Monday night.

Related: Kevin O’Connell Refuses to Reveal Which Vikings QBs Will be Active vs Rams

No, Jefferson goes above and beyond the norm. He’s the best wide receiver in the NFL, and a case could be made that he’s held this title since his rookie season. Again, that’s not normal.

Yet, the All-Pro receiver’s otherworldly talent has been apparent since he arrived, and once the Vikings decided to move on from Coach Zimmer, they knew they wanted to find someone who could maximize their new franchise player’s skillset.

Little did we know how well Kevin O’Connell would align with the Vikings’ vision, but Jefferson actually had a big hand in putting together another aspect of the coaching staff.

Justin Jefferson pounded the table for Keenan McCardell’s return

According to The Athletic’s Alec Lewis, Justin Jefferson personally pleaded with the front office not to move on from his wide receivers coach, Keenan McCardell, when the Minnesota Vikings front office cleaned house in 2022.

“He entered the NFL wanting a coach who would match his passion to be the best. When he found one in McCardell, he went out of his way to make sure McCardell didn’t leave. Literally. Jefferson directly asked general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O’Connell to keep McCardell on staff after the team fired Mike Zimmer.”

Alec Lewis on Justin Jefferson’s admiration for Vikings WR coach Keenan McCardell

Thankfully, Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell listened to their best player, and McCardell was retained for another season. McCardell has since been mentioned as a potential future NFL offensive coordinator, and his work with Vikings receivers is likely a big reason why.

Many, well, most coaches were either fired or allowed to search for a new job after Zimmer’s firing. But not McCardell. Jefferson knew what the Vikings had, and he wanted to make sure the new decision-makers in town recognized the value their wide receiver coach brought to the table.

McCardell has not only helped Jefferson reach his full potential, but now he’s helping others, such as Jordan Addison, do the same.

It’s obvious the Vikings think highly of their receiver coach, and they’ve provided him with several pet projects to develop over the years, whether it’s Addison, K.J. Osborn, Brandon Powell, Jalen Reagor, or N’Keal Harry. Osborn and Reagor have both signed with the New England Patriots, and we’d guess if they had a chance, they’d probably hire McCardell too.

It’s worth noting that the Patriots did actually interview McCardell for their then-vacant WR position back in 2023. If the Vikings get their way, they’ll continue pairing Jefferson with his favorite receiver coach for as long as they can, but chances are, another team will try learning his secrets in the near future.

Related: Justin Jefferson is the Key to J.J. McCarthy’s Confidence and He Knows It

Related: Vikings Fans Have Been Sold a Bill of Salary Cap Lies

While this event may seem fun and casual, it holds significant value for McCardell, who sees it as a big opportunity for his coaching future. Reports have surfaced recently, regarding McCardell’s imminent ambitions to call plays as an offensive coordinator, and he has his eyes set on eventually becoming a head coach.

Keenan McCardell sees Pro Bowl Games as great opportunity

Given who will be around that weekend, both from a player, coach and executive standpoint, the Pro Bowl Games present Keenan an incredibly opportunity to network and show off his football knowledge to people who matter. For good reason, the Vikings position coach sees this as a pivotal opportunity for his career, going forward.

“It will be good to get out in front of the best of the best of the league… Just show your skill set can you call plays and get guys the ball? It’s fun and I understand it’s an exhibition for those guys. I understand where their attention span is. I just know as it comes down to the end of the game, those competitive spirits get firing, you’ve got to be ready to call the right stuff for them. I just want to get a chance to show I can call plays.”

Keenan McCardell – via NFL.com

If McCardell has it his way, he will have an ‘offensive coordinator’ title and the responsibility of calling plays for an NFL offense. A promotion in Minnesota makes sense, especially after current OC Wes Phillips got into DWI trouble at the end of last season.

Related: PFF Floats Vikings as Possible Landing Spot for Antoine Winfield Jr

But unlike other OC positions, head coach Kevin O’Connell isn’t going to let him call plays. Thus, McCardell may explore other opportunities and choose to take his talents elsewhere, should a play-calling opportunity arise. At the Pro Bowl Games, McCardell will get a small chance to prove what he can do with a play sheet, but more so his creativity and how he connects with superstar players.

Wes Welker Alongside McCardell

For the first time ever, the Pro Bowl Games will feature former NFL players, turned position coaches, serving as offensive coordinators. Former Patriot great, Wes Welker, now the wide receivers coach for the Miami Dolphins, takes on the role for the AFC team.

“Being around different people and different ways of doing things, different techniques, especially at the Pro Bowl, you’re around a lot of really good players, picking stuff up from them, maybe they ask a question…It’s people that have spent their whole lives doing this and perfecting their techniques. Any time you’re around people at the top of their game, it’s helpful.”

Wes Welker – via NFL.com

Both McCardell and Welker, former Pro Bowl players in their own rights, now find themselves embarking on a new challenge together, and against each one another, as coaches in the 2024 NFL Pro Bowl Games.

Related: Russell Wilson Eyeing Vikings as Possible Landing Spot for 2024

In 2014, McCardell stuck around the DC area but took his talents to the Big Ten when he accepted the WR coach job at Maryland in 2014. There, he coached NFL star and former Minnesota Vikings WR, Stefon Diggs.

After that, he set his compass due SE and landed back in Jacksonville, where he spent the best years of his playing career. From 2017 to 2020, he was the Jaguars WR coach where he helped developed DJ Chark Jr. and Dede Westbrook.

Then, in 2021, Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer convinced McCardell to switch him winter home from Florida to Minnesota, where he’s been coaching up Justin Jefferson, KJ Osborn and Jordan Addison ever since.

Keenan McCardell Wants To Call Plays as Offensive Coordinator

Last offseason it was almost certain McCardell would be leaving Minnesota as he was interviewed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New England Patriots for their vacant offensive coordinator jobs. But Tampa Bay hired Dave Canales and New England chose Bill O’Brien, landing McCardell back to Minnesota.

Now, Darren Wolfson (SKOR North, KSTP) says that McCardell is hoping, yet again, for his chance to be an offensive coordinator. Not only that, but to also call plays. McCardell wanting to call plays, makes sense, especially if one day, he wants to be a head coach.

“Keenan is ready, in his mind, his representation’s mind, to call plays. He’s ready to make that step up that he’s on a path to one day, maybe in the next 5-ish years, to being a head coach. That is the ultimate goal. So, the next logical step is, ‘Hey I need to ascend to offensive coordinator. I need to call plays’.”

Darren Wolfson – SKOR North (Mackey & Judd Show)

Related: BR Predicts Vikings Blockbuster Trade Sends Justin Jefferson to Arizona

Kevin O’Connell Loves McCardell

McCardell is well liked in the Vikings organization. Jefferson has expressed how much of an impact he’s made on him, both on and off the field. And it also sounds like head coach Kevin O’Connell desperately wants to keep him around.

“So let’s see where some of these defensive-minded [head coaching] candidates land in some spots; what direction they could potentially go. But certainly keep an eye on that. There are no interviews that have taken place, to date, but let’s just see some of these head coaching spots that get filled, and if there’s a logical connection with Keenan, that Keenan could elevate and move on to become an offensive coordinator. But yeah, the Vikings want him back. Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison… go up and down the list. They value him so greatly there in Eagan.”

Darren Wolfson – SKOR North (Mackey & Judd Show)

Could Minnesota Vikings Promote Keenan McCardell?

If the Minnesota Vikings do not want to lose McCardell, what are their options? Well, unless they are going to let him call plays on offense — which isn’t going to happen as long as Kevin O’Connell is head coach — all they can do is hope he doesn’t get that call from someone else.

Plus, what would that mean for current OC, Wes Phillips? Would KOC boot him out, in order to keep Keenan McCardell? Maybe… but that conversation doesn’t matter if Keenan is dead-set on calling plays.

Related: NFC Wildcard Round Proved Vikings Need to Bring Kirk Cousins Back

If McCardell gets an offer to become an offensive coordinator somewhere, I’d imagine he will be in a new home next football season. Obviously there is still so much that has yet to unfold this offseason but this is certainly a storyline worth monitoring.

If you played fantasy football (or watched and kept stats for your dad’s team) in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, before it was taken over by the internet, then you know who Keenan McCardell is. He was one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, not rostered by the Minnesota Vikings at the time.

He posted SIX 1000-yard seasons between 1996 and 2003, spending his best years for the start-up Jacksonville Jaguars. Following a very successful career of playing WR, McCardell got into coaching them. He started at Maryland and has now spent six seasons in the NFL as a wide receivers coach.

Today, the Minnesota Vikings hired the 2x pro-bowler for 2021.

#Jaguars WR coach Keenan McCardell is moving on to same position with #Vikings, where he gets to mentor Justin Jefferson, per NFL sources. Didn't have relationship with Meyer or Bevell and wasn't really in hunt to keep his job that he did really well.

— Eugene Frenette (@GeneFrenette) January 28, 2021

High praise

Keenan McCardell, the football coach, comes in with high praise from many different places. One quote, however, caught my attention on Twitter. It was via Stefon Diggs.

Diggs was coached by McCardell at Maryland and has high praise for the former Jaguar great, calling McCardell the best non-NFL coach he’s ever had. Diggs even credits McCardell for teaching him how to get open and create separation.

I’m definitely interested in the coach who engrained those traits in Stefon Diggs. Let’s see if Keenan McCardell can take Justin Jefferson to the next level.

Here’s what Stefon Diggs and Keenan McCardell had to say about their time at Maryland when I talked to both of them a couple years ago.

Diggs said McCardell might have been the best coach he’s ever had; the #Vikings hope McCardell could be a similar influence for Jefferson. pic.twitter.com/RFuUrqwJ3m

— Ben Goessling (@GoesslingStrib) January 28, 2021

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan