After reaching new deals with coach Kevin O’Connell and General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah earlier this offseason, the Vikings re-upped another key member of their staff on Friday night.
The team extended offensive coordinator Wes Phillips’ contract, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. Phillips, who’s been O’Connell’s only offensive coordinator here, was on a deal that was set to expire after the 2025 season; his deal now runs through 2026.
The 46-year-old Phillips first coached with O’Connell in Washington, before helping O’Connell make the connection with Sean McVay that led to the Rams hiring O’Connell as their offensive coordinator in 2020. Phillips was the tight ends coach on the 2021 Rams team that won Super Bowl LVI, and he joined O’Connell on his first Vikings staff days after Los Angeles won the championship.
Phillips helped oversee an offense that scored the ninth-most points in the NFL last season, as Sam Darnold threw 35 touchdowns for a 14-3 team that became one of the surprise stories of the 2024 season. Eight days after the Vikings’ season concluded with a NFC wild-card playoff loss to the Rams, they agreed to a new deal with O’Connell through the 2029 season.
The deal with Phillips extends the tenure of one of O’Connell’s key confidants, who helps organize the team’s game plan during the week and provides a crucial voice for the coach as he calls plays on Sundays. Phillips turned down a job calling plays for the Chargers after the 2022 season, deciding to stay in Minnesota on O’Connell’s staff; he will work with the head coach and the Vikings’ offensive staff in 2025 as the team prepares 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy to take over as starting quarterback.
Grant Udinski, who was hired for a chief-of-staff role before developing as a coach under O’Connell and Phillips the past three seasons, made the jump from Vikings assistant quarterbacks coach to the Jaguars offensive coordinator job this offseason. But the Vikings still have quarterbacks coach Josh McCown (who interviewed for the Jets head coaching job) as part of their staff, and hired Jordan Traylor to replace Udinski among the coaches who will work closely with McCarthy this season.
NFL rules would allow Phillips to leave for a head coaching job, or an offensive coordinator job with play-calling duties, after the 2025 season. Short of that, his new contract means he will continue working with O’Connell in Minnesota.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores‘ contract expires after the 2025 season; it remains to be seen if Flores, who interviewed with three teams for head coaching jobs this offseason, would look to test the market next year.
