Kevin

O'Connell

That, of course, was not something O’Connell did under the great Sean McVay in Los Angeles. It is a task he has surely been well prepared for, but could be the toughest part of his transition from assistant to lead duties. O’Connell’s No. 1 offensive objective will likely be to run smarter in 2022 after the Vikes continually ran the ball just for the sake of it, often letting opposing teams back into games Minnesota should have won.

There has been some speculation making the rounds that Sean McVay’s retirement could trigger a scenario where O’Connell succeeded McVay as Rams head coach. That would be quite a shift in plans, but it appears at this point that the Vikings are still locked on to O’Connell and look likely to seal the deal on Thursday. O’Connell couldn’t officially agree to the job while the Rams were still in the playoffs.

The Vikings zeroed in on O’Connell weeks ago but couldn’t officially hire him until after the Rams completed their Super Bowl run. O’Connell becomes the latest Sean McVay coach to land a head coaching gig, joining an impressive coaching tree. When in Washington, O’Connell worked with Kirk Cousins, who has spoken highly of his new head coach and his role in his development. Cousins may ultimately not be back in Minnesota, depending on how new general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah plays the offseason. However, if Cousins returns, O’Connell should be able to design an offense that plays to his quarterback’s strengths. The Vikings are likely to pass more than in the Mike Zimmer era, which is good news for Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, who could also benefit from the new play designs. The offense could still be much closer to balanced than pass-heavy, however, creating upside for Dalvin Cook as a workhorse in an improved offense.

ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Adam Schefter have also reported O’Connell is expected to get the job, though it can’t be made official until after the Super Bowl with the Rams’ season still going on. It’s O’Connell’s job if he wants it, and the Vikings have already informed the other candidates. The Rams and coach Sean McVay will once again have to replace another high-level offensive assistant. McVay has been losing them on a yearly basis.

The Rams making the Super Bowl in O’Connell’s second year with the team plus the allure of a Sean McVay alum has turned him into one of the hottest candidates still available. He also has a second interview upcoming with the Vikings plus a potential first interview in Jacksonville, though that one will have to wait until the season ends. With some of the other big names already signed, O’Connell may get to choose between a few different franchises. Minnesota would be a good bet but O’Connell is reportedly a fan of Trevor Lawrence, leaving the Jags in play. Houston will need to pull out all of the stops to pry O’Connell away from more desirable landing spots.

The Super Bowl-bound Rams will likely lose at least one of their coordinators this offseason. Morris, 45, was the Bucs head coach from 2009-2011 and the Falcons interim head coach in 2020. His defense’s solid postseason play has only bolstered his reputation. O’Connell is also in the running for the Jaguars’ head coaching vacancy, though an administrative mixup for the dysfunctional Jacksonville franchise has prevented the team from interviewing O’Connell yet. Trevor Lawrence would likely be a more appealing prospect than Kirk Cousins for an incoming first-time head coach.

With the Rams playing hotter than ever under Matthew Stafford, O’Connell was all but guaranteed to get some head-coaching buzz. The hype is very real as O’Connell is also a frontrunner to be the next coach of the Vikings, who just requested a second interview with him. Rapoport noted that O’Connell could quickly emerge as the favorite to land the Jacksonville gig and that he is reportedly a fan of Trevor Lawrence. An offensive-minded coach who has experience getting the most out of his quarterback would be the ideal hire for Jacksonville so they will be anxiously waiting for the Rams’ season to conclude.

They will also bring in Rams OC Kevin O’Connell for another interview. With a handful of teams already making their hires, the Vikings have two frontrunners for their vacancy. Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh remains in the mix as well. The 49ers lost defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to the Jets ahead of the 2021 season but the team didn’t miss a beat after promoting Ryans, who was their linebackers coach for three seasons. They finished top-10 in points and yards allowed in the regular season and are still in the midst of a deep playoff run.

Fowler reports that O’Connell was on new GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s “list of intriguing candidates during GM interviews.” Sean McVay’s latest offensive coordinator has already interviewed with the Texans, and was a finalist with the Broncos. He has been previously linked to the Vikings, so there is probably something here.

The Texans’ search has felt all over the map, with it occasionally seeming like they are trying to run out the clock before springing it on the world they have hired coaching neophyte Josh McCown. Sean McVay’s latest right-hand man, O’Connell was a finalist for the Broncos job that went to Nathaniel Hackett. The Texans have also been linked to McCown, Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon, ex-Dolphins coach Brian Flores, Chargers OC Joe Lombardi, Hines Ward for some reason, and a gaggle of Patriots. They don’t seem particularly close to making a hire.