Are Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on the Hot Seat? (Despite the Extensions)

Are Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on the Hot Seat? (Despite the Extensions)

[Music] What’s going on, Jeromes? So, even though Kevin Oonnell, Quaof Mensahsa got match extensions this off season as a bite my tongue, it’s a great metaphor for the season, right? But even though they got extended, right, and you would think that the future is secure, the NFL does stand for not for long. And something that was unthinkable even just a couple weeks ago is the question and I think it’s a legitimate question because you know we we try not to be the old clickbay shock jud but when it’s time to have a conversation we have a conversation and is quing Kevin McConnell on the hot seat right again it seems shocking because embarking on a new adventure got your contract extensions got your future franchise quarterback and the Wolves the Wolves are fantastic owners like they they pay the money. They stay in the background. They let their people work, but you know, Okonnell, you know, has this reputation of being the quarterback whisperer. The uh the the commander, not that’s a bad term, the u principal, superintendent of the Kevin McConnell Center for Quarterbacks who can’t throw good and want to learn how to do other stuff. Good, too. A lot of reclamation projects, right? And then this off seasonason choice between Jonathan James McCarthy, highest drafted quarterback in team history and slinging Sammy Darnold aka well Seattle’s quarterback now where Darnold had a great regular season poo pooed himself in the two biggest games of the year. Ultimately Okonnell and Quy they bet their derbs on JJ McCarthy, right? So, I I understand that the results have been uneven, right? McCarthy’s had some great moments, he’s had some not so great moments, and it really has been a sort of what you see is what you get situation. It’s it’s a spot where it’s been extremely frustrating. And you losing is it’s fine. You know, you lose a game in national football, you do that. But just getting embarrassed, just a no call, no show. It’s taxing, right? And already there’s rumors about the Vikings, oh, they’re training for M. Jones, all that stuff. But you the main question is, will Qua and Kevin McConnell be here? Now, I feel like as of right now, it’s an extremely low chance that they’re fired. I think if someone was to be fired, it would be Quy. I think Okonnell has a little bit more of a grace period, but also it’s a nonzero chance for both of them, right? And depending how how the rest of the season plays out. I mean, it could be higher, right? But as of right now, uh, so the Quacy and Kevin Con situationship both extended through 2029, both got reportedly as four-year extensions this off season. And it’s not a kinky dink that their contracts basically run during the duration of the JJ McCarthy rookie deal, right? They’re all in on him. The Wolves are stable, rational owners. You know, they’re not out here changing coaching staffs and and GMs every other year. They’re not the Tennessee Titans. Uh that the Quy and Coven do have a 13 win and 14 win season on their resume. Yes. But this year, you know, 344 million in player contracts in 2025. Now, that’s a little bit of a misnomer, right? Because the reason why the Vikings spending this year is so big because the Vikings were big time players in free agency. Now we could say that free for agencies attacks on teams who can’t draft well. Uh that’s been us in the past before, right? And you know Quy had a great 2024 free for agent class. Also some other reason why spending is pretty big because on some of these deals the the guaranteed money is within the first couple years, right? Uh but especially with this year doing out some big money on signing bonuses. That’s why that number is inflated, right? Uh and last year’s free agent class, you know, Grenard AVG cashman outside. How about that? Aon Jones, of course, slinging Sammy Darnold. I mean, it’s pretty good free agent class. Yeah, potentially one of the best in NFL history. And then this year, so he brought back Murf, who’s got zero picks. Fries has been really solid. Hargrave Allen been hit or miss. Ryan Kelly’s been injured frequently. Isaiah Rogers had a aame. Eric Wilson’s been a stud. Jeff Vakuda has been concussed. A Thomas has been terrible. Justin School has been terrible. Rond Del Moore has been hurt. Tim Jones. Yeah. Carson Wentz was there for a little bit. Right. Uh and also so we have you have to look at things from an owner perspective. Right. So they see 344 million out the door not making the playoffs. 37 million over the cap. Even though you we’ve gone through the moves that the Vikings can easily make realistically to free up almost 70 million in cap space. So cap is not going to be a problem in 2026. They’ll be able to keep who they want to keep as well as be players in free agency. But from ownership perspective, reading this from a P&L sheet, uh, it’s not looking good, right? Draft picks have been less than ideal, right? So, the the four drafts that Quason and Kevin McConnell have been here, uh, the famous 2022 draft where, hey, Ed Ingram is looking good for the Texans now. Yeah. And then 2023, I mean, Addison, I mean, you can include Ivan Pace Jr. in this as a UDFA, but I don’t know, maybe you don’t want to do that anymore. M guy Blackman had some spark for the Colts. Cool. 2024. So JJ’s been all over the place. Diamond Ellis Turner is actually looking really damn good. Kyrie Jackson, rest in power. Will Rackard is one of the best young kickers in the game. Woo 2025 first round pick. Diamond Jackson looks like a legit legit. And Ty Felton is a punt gunner. Okay. Uh Kobe King isn’t even on the team anymore. Right. So uh the drafts leave something to be desired, right? And this off season, you know, they said no to Darnold, no to Daniel Jones, no to Aaron Rodgers, no to Shidor Sanders, right? Uh and then they bet all their chips on JJ McCarthy. Now, obviously, six games in fully fully get it, right? I’m still fully on the JJ McCarthy train, but there’s been a lot of bad tape out there. And we’re talking about historically bad numbers like Jamarcus Russell type bad numbers, which is insane. All right. And like we said, still fully on the JJ McCarthy hype train, but at a certain point, we got to start seeing some progression, right? I I know it’s still too early, but hya, again, you have to look at this from ownership’s perspective, not a fans perspective, because ultimately the owners are the ones cutting the checks. And if you’re the Wolves, even though you’re stable, you’re very good, rational owners, and your GM spent $344 million of your money, you’re over the cap for next year, uh the quarterback you guys bet on is pretty erratic right now. And at least three times this year, the team has just been embarrassed, including at home home opener, Sunday Night Football. You you do that against the Falcons. And then Thursday Night Football, another standalone prime time game. you do that and then at Lambo you do that right owners do not like to be embarrassed and that’s what it comes down to and you know this team has great team culture but does it lack toughness and been asking myself that for you know the last four years where you know the Zimmer teams especially the early Zimmer teams were they tough yes yes they were can you say that about the Kevin Ollins teams are they tough and come a lot of things like athletic, um, good vibes for the most part, tough, and also factoring in here is offset language in the contracts, right? Because, you know, coaching contracts are a lot like player contracts in that you have a guaranteed amount. Sure. And if you get fired, you get X amount. But also, if you take another jar, and generally that applies to NFL and college, it can offset what you’re owed. So, say just for schnits and giggles, Kevin Okonnell 10 million bucks. We don’t know the real numbers, but say it’s 10 million bucks guaranteed and Okonnell takes a OC job for 5 million bucks. So, the Vikings have to guarantee the difference between five and 10, right? So, but it it wouldn’t be completely eating your contract. It wouldn’t be it wouldn’t be as shocking of a number as like some of those college contracts, even though those have offset language, too. And Quy, I’m sure it’s got similar deal. you know, Quay would be eminently employable uh by any analytics forward front office in the National Football League and Kevin McConnell will be out of work for like two seconds, right? So, at at minimum like he’d probably get some head coaching sniffs and obviously he’d be in demand as an OC, right? Uh but also on top of that is that since you extended Quasy and Kevin McConnell, generally you’re extending their assistance as well and scouting staff. So, paying out entire coaching and scouting staff and then having to pay a new coaching and scouting staff, that’s a that’s a big- time investment, right? But, as we said, even though, you know, the Wolves, as we said, are are stable, they pay money, they let their people work sometimes to the detriment because like Zimmer and Spielman, that was no bueno for a couple years there at the end. And maybe if there were more meddling of owners, they could have seen that sooner. Maybe they they see that here with Kevin Kuy and not that they’re not on the same page, but could it be a spot where more is required because on paper on purpose like like we said th this team is extremely talented and they’ve really underachieved, right? And this was supposed to be, hey, it’s a Ferrari and JJ McCarthy just keeps the the car on the road. The car is off the road into a ditch lit on fire. Dogs are peeing on it. Like a dog. Seems like years ago. Like a dog in the street. The dog’s in the kennel now. Hey. Hey. Yeah. It It’s a no-kill shelter though, so we’ll be fine. And as we said, you have to think like an owner where at a certain point it’s like, “Hey, we spend a lot of money. You put a lot of faith in this McCarthy kid and we’re out here getting schwacked. We’re out here getting embarrassed. And what happens at Seattle? Like what happens uh if the Vikings get embarrassed by Sling and Sam Darn because, you know, he’s got a chip on his shoulder, right? And JJ McCarthy against that Seattle defense on the road. So, what happens if Darnold puts up five touchdowns, McCarthy puts up five sacks, two picks, and just doesn’t look good, right? And then, uh, standalone game, Sunday Night Football at Dallas, big-time stage. What if you get embarrassed there? And then what about Detroit on Christmas? Another standalone game. As we said, I if the season completely craters and say the Vikings finish five and 12, which I don’t think so, I think the Vikings will rally up and win a couple of these games, but I feel like all bets would be off then. No matter what Quay and Kevin Okcon have done, no matter the recent extensions, no matter what, again, owners do not like to be embarrassed, especially when there was a big-time price tag and especially when you bet on the wrong horse. And I’m still firmly saying that I do believe in the upside of JJ McCarthy. We just need some time, but also the returns so far, they are what they are, right? And again, never discount. Hey, hey, owners be like, hey, didn’t we have Sam Darnold here last year? Didn’t we have him? And he went with the other guy. How’s the other guy doing? Again, I feel like if the Vikings just completely crater the rest of the season, anything could happen. Some wild stuff could happen. I think at minimum right now, I think they’re both safe. I I I would say Quasy’s 90% safe. I would say Kevin McConnell is like 95%. It’s relatively close, but there’s a difference. But I think at minimum Okonnell is going to have to throw some assistance under the bus. I think Coach Hat is gone. I think Chris Cooper could be gone. Josh McConn, I don’t know. But I I feel like it’ll have to be one of those things where well changes have to be made and we have to answer to the fan base. So you’re going to have to fire some assistance. That that could be the situation right now. And also if Quason could fire Griggsson, that’d be great. Anyways, uh your thoughts or thoughts are Qua and Kevin Oonnell on the hot seat right now? No. But that could change. That could really really change pretty quick. Let us know your thoughts. Our thoughts comment section. You guys the best you to do. Goal production value.

Are Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on the Hot Seat

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