08-06-2024, 04:13 PM
Vikings owner Mark Wilf ‘excited’ about team, but extensions for Kevin O’Connell, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have to wait
Vikings co-owner Mark Wilf says he’s happy with the status of a changing rosterand the direction of the team in Year 3 under general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell.
But Wilf said Tuesday that the Vikings ownership group wants to wait and see how the 2024 season unfolds before beginning contract extension talks with Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell. They are believed to be on four-year contracts that expire after the 2025 season.
“We’re very excited about the direction,” Wilf told local reporters at TCO Performance Center, “about coach O’Connell and Kwesi and the leadership they’ve brought our organization and our culture. … It’s not something we’re talking about at this point on terms of that. We’re focusing on the season ahead.”
Since Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell were hired in 2022 to replace former general manager Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer, the Vikings are 20-14 with one playoff appearance. Last year, injuries to key players undercut the franchise’s third losing season in the past four years.
But the Vikings owner underlined the importance of workplace chemistry in an ultra-competitive business, and how Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell have shifted the vibes at Vikings headquarters.
“It’s a real good feeling around here,” Wilf said.
Since catching lightning in a bottle with a veteran-laden team and 13-4 record in 2023, Adofo-Mensah has overseen dramatic turnover on the depth chart.
Newly gone this offseason are quarterback Kirk Cousins and edge rusher Danielle Hunter, ushering in even more of a youth movement for a team with this year’s youngest first-round rookie quarterback in J.J. McCarthy, who turned 21 in January. Journeyman quarterback Sam Darnold is the frontrunner to start Week 1.
So, what would success look like for the Vikings this season?
“Every year pretty much our goals never waver: to compete and win divisions, ultimately win Super Bowl championships,” Wilf said. “We know we’re in a tough division. But I know coach O’Connell is getting everybody ready. We think our roster is in a good spot. Of course, we’ve had the issues we’ve had with the tragedy and some injury stuff. But overall, I think our roster is in a good place.”
In the NFC North, the Vikings’ opponents appear on the upswing between two highly-paid quarterbacks in the Lions’ Jared Goff and Packers’ Jordan Love, as well as the Bears’ selection of No. 1 overall quarterback Caleb Williams.
“We’re up for the challenge,” Wilf said of the division. “Expectations are fine one way or another. But in the end, we’ve got to prove it on the field.”
https://www.startribune.com/vikings-owne.../600861551
Vikings co-owner Mark Wilf says he’s happy with the status of a changing rosterand the direction of the team in Year 3 under general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell.
But Wilf said Tuesday that the Vikings ownership group wants to wait and see how the 2024 season unfolds before beginning contract extension talks with Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell. They are believed to be on four-year contracts that expire after the 2025 season.
“We’re very excited about the direction,” Wilf told local reporters at TCO Performance Center, “about coach O’Connell and Kwesi and the leadership they’ve brought our organization and our culture. … It’s not something we’re talking about at this point on terms of that. We’re focusing on the season ahead.”
Since Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell were hired in 2022 to replace former general manager Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer, the Vikings are 20-14 with one playoff appearance. Last year, injuries to key players undercut the franchise’s third losing season in the past four years.
But the Vikings owner underlined the importance of workplace chemistry in an ultra-competitive business, and how Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell have shifted the vibes at Vikings headquarters.
“It’s a real good feeling around here,” Wilf said.
Since catching lightning in a bottle with a veteran-laden team and 13-4 record in 2023, Adofo-Mensah has overseen dramatic turnover on the depth chart.
Newly gone this offseason are quarterback Kirk Cousins and edge rusher Danielle Hunter, ushering in even more of a youth movement for a team with this year’s youngest first-round rookie quarterback in J.J. McCarthy, who turned 21 in January. Journeyman quarterback Sam Darnold is the frontrunner to start Week 1.
So, what would success look like for the Vikings this season?
“Every year pretty much our goals never waver: to compete and win divisions, ultimately win Super Bowl championships,” Wilf said. “We know we’re in a tough division. But I know coach O’Connell is getting everybody ready. We think our roster is in a good spot. Of course, we’ve had the issues we’ve had with the tragedy and some injury stuff. But overall, I think our roster is in a good place.”
In the NFC North, the Vikings’ opponents appear on the upswing between two highly-paid quarterbacks in the Lions’ Jared Goff and Packers’ Jordan Love, as well as the Bears’ selection of No. 1 overall quarterback Caleb Williams.
“We’re up for the challenge,” Wilf said of the division. “Expectations are fine one way or another. But in the end, we’ve got to prove it on the field.”
https://www.startribune.com/vikings-owne.../600861551