The Vikings and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips have agreed to a one-year contract extension, according to The Star Tribune's Ben Goessling. Phillips was on a deal that was set to expire after this season, but he's now under contract through the 2026 season.
Phillips, 46, has been the only offensive coordinator of the Kevin O'Connell era. He coached alongside O'Connell in both Washington and Los Angeles before being hired by Minnesota shortly after KOC landed the head coaching job in 2022.
O'Connell calls the offensive plays in Minnesota, but Phillips is his top assistant. He helps with installations and game plans throughout the week and is a voice in O'Connell's ear on Sundays. Phillips reportedly turned down an offer to call plays as the Chargers' OC after the 2022 season, electing to remain with the Vikings.
With O'Connell and Phillips, the Vikings have found the coaching stability on the offensive side of the ball that eluded the organization during the Mike Zimmer era. They had six offensive coordinators in eight years under Zimmer, including a new one in each of the final five years. When the 2025 season begins, Phillips will be the first person to hold the title of Vikings OC for at least four consecutive years since Darrell Bevell (2006-10).
The Vikings extended O'Connell's contract through the 2029 season shortly after their first-round postseason loss to the Rams. They also extended GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's deal at the end of May.
Phillips, the son of Wade Phillips and grandson of Bum Phillips, began his NFL coaching career with the Cowboys in 2007, when his dad was the head coach. Wes spent seven seasons in Dallas, then served as Washington's tight ends coach from 2014-18. He was with the Rams from 2019-21.
In December 2023, Phillips was arrested on suspicion of DUI. He pled guilty to an amended misdemeanor charged in February 2024 and was suspended by the Vikings for three weeks that April.
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has a contract that is set to expire after this upcoming season. Flores, who was hired in 2023, has interviewed for head coaching jobs in each of the last two offseasons. He could look to test the market again next year.
