Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said after Monday night's loss to the Rams that quarterback Sam Darnold has a "special place in my heart" because of the way he played this season.

The Vikings general manager told reporters Thursday that Darnold is among the “good options” the Vikings have at quarterback while adding that J.J. McCarthy has returned to on-field training.

In the immediate aftermath of the Vikings’ shocking 27-9 upset loss to the Rams to close out wildcard weekend, Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell made it a point

O'Connell, 39, lands a contract extension after guiding Vikings to 14-3 record with Sam Darnold at quarterback.

O'Connell seemed to speak about Darnold with an air of finality after the team's wild-card round loss vs. the Rams.

The Minnesota Vikings had a rough exit in the 2024 NFL Playoffs, with Sam Darnold getting sacked nine times in the 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round. After a 14-3 regular season,

The Minnesota Vikings got ahead of an offseason full of rumors and speculation about head coach Kevin O'Connell with a major announcement.

Minneapolis — The Minnesota Vikings and coach Kevin O'Connell agreed to terms on a multiyear contract extension on Tuesday, following a 14-3 regular season that defied external widespread preseason projections of at least a losing record if not a last-place finish in the NFC North.

In three seasons with the Vikings, the 39-year-old O’Connell is 34-17 in the regular season and 0-2 in the playoffs.

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. On Tuesday afternoon, the Vikings announced they have agreed to terms on a multi-year contract extension with O’Connell. The exact length of the contract extension and the average annual value were not made public.