Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is joining the NFL’s Competition Committee. O’Connell is one of four head coaches being added to the committee, joining Houston’s DeMeco Ryans, Denver’s Sean Payton, and New England’s Mike Vrabel.

Former Bills head coach Sean McDermott, former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, and former Dolphins general manager Chris Grier are leaving their roles on the committee.

In his new role on the committee, O’Connell will have a say in reviewing all competitive aspects of the game. That includes, but is not limited to, playing rules, roster regulations, technology, game-day operations, and player protection.

O’Connell has previously voiced displeasure about defenses being allowed to have more than 11 players in the huddle during timeouts, while offenses get penalized if they have more than 11 players.

Interestingly, there is a rule being proposed this year that would allow teams to trade picks up to five years into the future. The current rule allows picks only three years into the future to be traded. If the rule is adopted, it would help teams offer significantly bigger trade packages for players. That one might interest O’Connell if the Vikings are willing to offer a boatload of first-round picks for a star quarterback.

O’Connell has also been on the wrong side of playoff seeding. In 2024-26, the Vikings won 14 games but had to play on the road in the first round of the playoffs (a loss to the Rams) because home games are awarded to division winners, not the teams with the best records. Perhaps he’ll have a bit more power to influence future discussions about playoff seeding.

He might also be interested in discussing camera wires and their impact on games. This past season, when the Vikings were playing the Browns in London, Vikings kicker Will Reichard’s field goal attempt may have struck a camera wire. The play was not reviewed, and something like that happening in the future could cost the Vikings, or any other team, a victory if not ruled correctly.

It sure looks like Reichard’s missed field goal was due to the ball hitting the Spidercam…

Crazy that nobody on the field seemed to notice. If the Vikings didn’t win this morning this would have been a much bigger controversy. pic.twitter.com/sPGegNYUrL

— Zach Halverson (@ZachHalverson) October 5, 2025

Another topic: The league’s touchback rule that cost the Vikings in a 2023 loss in Philadelphia. Remember when Jefferson fumbled at the goal line, and the ball went out of bounds in the end zone? That’s a wild rule that has cost the Vikings and other teams. If the offense fumbles out of bounds anywhere else on the field, they keep the ball. Why is it different when the ball is fumbled in the field of play into an opponent’s end zone?

.@DeVontaSmith_6 taking notes on what not to do at the goal line 😂✍️ pic.twitter.com/ajLaSg0a90

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) September 20, 2023

The 11-member committee will meet ahead of the NFL Combine, which begins Monday in Indianapolis. It will then get together again at the league’s annual owners meetings to vote on new rules and regulations.

Former Vikings head coach Dennis Green joined the competition committee in 1994, becoming the first African American to contribute to making NFL rules in league history.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell selects the members of the competition committee, which is currently chaired by Falcons CEO Rich McKay and Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones. Other members include Bengals vice president Katie Blackburn, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles, 49ers GM John Lynch, Giants co-owner John Mara and Rams head coach Sean McVay.