After winning the NFC North under head coach Kevin O’Connell in his first season on the job, the Minnesota Vikings saw their success on the field wane in 2023. The team has only a 2.5 percent chance of making the playoffs as we head into the final week of the regular season, as Minnesota will likely begin their offseason on Monday.
There are certainly going to be some changes made to the roster once the offseason rolls around. The Vikings have to take a long hard look at their quarterback position, which went under following the injury to Kirk Cousins.
Cousins’ availability for the start of 2024 is unknown as he recovers from an Achilles injury. Jaren Hall, Nick Mullens and Joshua Dobbs all had their moments as the starter in place of Cousins but none were able to seize the opportunity.
NFL News & Rumors: Jim Harbaugh, Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota Vikings Updates
An injury to star wide receiver Justin Jefferson didn’t help matter as he was hurt in Week 5 and didn’t come back until Week 14, when he was injured again. Tight end T.J. Hockenson had his season ended prematurely in Week 16, as did defensive end D.J. Wonnum.
Injuries are out of the control of the coaching staff, but that hasn’t stopped some people from beginning to question if O’Connell is the guy for the job long-term in Minnesota. One of those people is Adam Patrick of The Vikings Age, who suggested the team attempt to pursue Jim Harbaugh out of Michigan one more time.
“If the goal for the Vikings is to win a Super Bowl within the next few years, then making another attempt to hire Harbaugh as their head coach might be something for them to consider.
Harbaugh has already had success in the past as an NFL head coach when he was with the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014, and what he’s helped Michigan accomplish in the last two years cannot be ignored.
NFL News & Rumors: Jim Harbaugh, Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota Vikings Updates
O’Connell might be able to eventually lead Minnesota to a Super Bowl win during his tenure with the franchise, but Harbaugh might be the guy who can help the franchise get that championship victory much sooner,” Patrick wrote.
Before O’Connell was hired during the 2022 offseason, it looked as if Harbaugh was coming to the Vikings. Negotiations got so far long that he was giving goodbyes to everyone at the university, expecting to move on.
But, something occurred that made Vikings’ decision-makers nervous and they moved onto O’Connell, who was the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. With a 10-year, $125 million offer on the table from Michigan, Minnesota or whatever team pursues Harbaugh is going to have to bring a massive offer to the table.
Moving on from O’Connell after two seasons would seemingly be short-sighted. But, if the Vikings believe Harbaugh is the person who can get them to that next level, as they seemingly did two years ago, it could be something they seriously consider.
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