Vikings Kevin O’Connell named Sporting News Coach of the Year by his peers

Kevin O’Connell of the Vikings is The Sporting News’ 2024 Coach of the Year, and quarterback Sam Darnold is the publication’s Comeback Player of the Year.

Both awards are peer-selected. More than 800 players voted this year.

O’Connell led the Vikings to a 14-4 finish that included a nine-game win streak in his third season at the helm. Minnesota reached the playoffs for the second time under O’Connell as the NFC’s five seed but lost in the wild-card round to the Rams.

Darnold returned to a starting role after a year in San Francisco as the No. 2 to 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. He threw for a career-high 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns but struggled in the final two games of the Vikings’ season, both of which they lost.

Still, Darnold is expected to be a hot commodity on the free agent market this March.

O’Connell and Darnold are finalists in the same categories for The Associated Press NFL Honors, which are voted on by media and will be presented at 8 p.m. Feb. 6 during the awards show on FOX and NFL Network.

Other TSN award recipients were Eagles running back Saquon Barkley for Offensive Player of the Year, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett for Defensive Player of the Year, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels for Rookie of the Year, Lions general manager Brad Holmes for Executive of the Year and Lions offensive coordinator — now Bears head coach — Ben Johnson for Coordinator of the Year.

The Sporting News also has NFL coaches vote for its All-Pro team. Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson was one of two receivers to make the team alongside his former LSU teammate, the Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase.

Jefferson finished the 2024 season with 1,533 receiving yards on 103 receptions, bouncing back from a hamstring injury in 2023 that limited him to only 10 games. He matched a career-high 10 receiving touchdowns.