RandBall: With extension for Kevin O’Connell, Vikings’ path forward is clear

Any potential head coaching upheaval for the Vikings, which seemed unlikely even as rumblings of uncertainty and outside interest in Kevin O’Connell made their way into end-of-season news cycles, was abruptly cut off this week with the announcement of a multiyear contract extension for O’Connell.

While we don’t know the exact value or length, a good guess is that the Wilf family added at least three years to O’Connell’s deal, giving him at least four years total here since one year still remains on his initial contract signed before the 2022 season.

That would make sense in terms of what the Vikings have done historically, as Ben Goessling and I talked about on Wednesday’s “Daily Delivery” podcast.

It also would make sense given that it would put O’Connell at or beyond the contractual timelines of the two offensive players who will help define the next phase of his coaching tenure: J.J. McCarthy and Justin Jefferson.

Both players are under team control for the next four years: McCarthy with three years left on his inexpensive rookie scale contract plus a fifth-year option and Jefferson via the four-year extension he signed last offseason.

Their alignment with O’Connell was always likely, but having it become official creates a clarifying effect for the Vikings’ future.

The Vikings are projected to have more than $70 million cap space this offseason, which in theory would enable them to keep Sam Darnold for at least one more year (with the franchise tag) and potentially longer.

In reality, the Vikings can’t afford to devote half that space to Darnold if they intend to upgrade the interior of their offensive line (a priority that O’Connell spelled out clearly after their season-ending loss to the Rams) and also field a functional secondary and backfield considering all their top corners and running backs are free agents.

With precious little draft capital (a first-rounder, two fifth-rounders and likely a compensatory pick for Kirk Cousins at the end of the third round) to improve via that route, the more expensive choice of free agency is the route to compete again next season.

The Vikings certainly could decide to put the franchise tag on Darnold by early March and then trade him to beef up their draft stock, but I think it would be truly shocking to see him playing another season in Minnesota.

He’s not a bridge QB any more. He’s a commodity viewed as a starter. Keeping him would be expensive, would block McCarthy’s path and could prove to be a bad choice on the field at the worst possible time again if the Vikings couldn’t afford corresponding offensive line upgrades.

There’s also the question of Jefferson’s hefty contract, a four-year $140 million deal that carries only a $15 million cap charge next season but swells to QB-like numbers ($39 million, $43 million, $47 million) in the final three years.

The Vikings aligned Jefferson’s deal with McCarthy’s inexpensive seasons for a reason, and now they have the offensive-minded head coach responsible for unlocking their full potential on a similar timeline.

O’Connell has done a masterful job compiling a 34-17 record his first three seasons without the benefit of a single snap played by a hand-picked QB of the future. Now it’s time for the next part of his coaching journey.