The Minnesota Vikings have one of the best assets in the NFL in head coach Kevin O’Connell and may never even contemplate trading him, but the return might be massive if they did.
The NFC North Division rival Chicago Bears just fired head coach Matt Eberflus and are on the hunt for a new head coach to help guide their rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
Kalyn Kahler of ESPN suggested on Monday, December 2, that the Bears take drastic measures to find their next leading man, including making a godfather offer to Minnesota for O’Connell.
“This is going to sound crazy, but the Bears need to think crazy. They should trade for Kevin O’Connell,” Kahler wrote on X. “Caleb and KOC love each other. I don’t know if the Vikings would ever part with him, but Chicago should at least try. Added bonus: I believe his agent is Trace Armstrong.”
Based on O’Connell’s success in Minnesota through three seasons and the most recent history of NFL teams dealing their head coaches, Chicago would have to put up a massive package of draft picks to entice the Vikings into even having the conversation.
Kevin O’Connell Has Proven Himself Elite NFL Head Coach Over 3 Seasons With Vikings
O’Connell has proven himself a brilliant offensive mind in the NFL, leading the Los Angeles Rams to a Super Bowl win as the offensive coordinator under offensive guru Sean McVay in 2021. O’Connell landed in Minnesota the following year, leading the Vikings to a division championship and the playoffs with Kirk Cousins under center.
He pieced together a 7-10 record in 2023 despite starting four different quarterbacks and has Minnesota at 10-2 this year amid the revitalization of Sam Darnold’s career under center.
What O’Connell might be able to accomplish with an elite quarterback is almost scary to contemplate, and while it would be great for Bears fans if that QB was Williams and the franchise in question was Chicago, the team would undoubtedly have to give up quite a bit to pry O’Connell away from Minnesota.
For context, the Denver Broncos traded a first-round pick and a second-round pick to the New Orleans Saints for the rights to hire Sean Payton in 2023. The Las Vegas Raiders (then of Oakland) traded former head coach Jon Gruden to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for two first-round selections, two second-rounders and $8 million back in 2002.
Vikings Still Have Need for Kevin O’Connell’s QB Skills
Beyond the fact that the Vikings’ asking price would probably be too great for the Bears, Minnesota still needs O’Connell’s specific expertise moving forward.
There is no guarantee that Darnold will be back next season after inking a one-year contact to join the Vikings and playing his way into what will likely be a nine-figure deal.
Minnesota just signed former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, but he is clearly in need of some rehabilitating when it comes to playing the position, despite being the QB who handed the Vikings their 0-1 playoff record during the O’Connell era.
The team also invested the 10th pick in J.J. McCarthy, who will miss the entirety of his rookie season with a knee injury and return next year.
A godfather offer for O’Connell could theoretically make sense for the Vikings if they were set at quarterback with someone like Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen in his prime. However, because they are not in that situation, it is difficult to see any team making a big enough offer to convince Minnesota to move on after O’Connell’s third season with the franchise.
