Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell responds to teams reportedly wanting to trade for him ahead of playoffs
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell is entirely focused on his wild-card round matchup against the Los Angeles Rams this week, but he did respond to a surprising report that revolves around him.
During "Fox NFL Sunday," Jay Glazer reported that multiple teams are interested in trading for O'Connell, one of the league's "Coach of the Year" frontrunners, heading into this offseason.
It's rare, but yes, teams can trade for coaches, and the offensive-minded O'Connell is someone that is piquing the interest of teams in need of filling that void in their organization.
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However, when asked on Monday about the report, O'Connell expressed his desire to stay put in Minneapolis.
"I’m not really interested in kind of, I guess I should say, addressing the rumors or speculation," O’Connell told reporters, via the New York Post. "What I can tell you is I love this team. I love everything about this organization. This is where I want to be. This is where I want to keep coaching and leading."
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While O'Connell clearly has a preference of where he wants to be, the Wilf family, owners of the Vikings, have "no interest" in trading their head coach, according to ESPN.
O'Connell's priority is handling the Rams this upcoming Monday, a team that handed the Vikings one of their three losses this season. Los Angeles took care of business on their home turf in a 30-20 win over Minnesota in Week 8.
O'Connell is also looking to win his first playoff game with the Vikings, as that didn't happen in 2022 when his squad went 13-4 but lost to the New York Giants in the wild-card round.
A 7-10 season, which included Kirk Cousins tearing his Achilles midway through, followed in 2023 before O'Connell's squad bounced back under Sam Darnold's leadership on offense.
This matchup against Rams head coach Sean McVay is a familiar one considering O'Connell was Los Angeles' offensive coordinator before being hired by Minnesota.
The Vikings open up the weekend as slight favorites against the Rams, but a battle between two teams and two coaches who know each other very well is expected to be a thriller.
And until the Vikings' Super Bowl run comes to an end, O'Connell's sole focus will be on the team he wants to remain with either way.
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