Minnesota Vikings Coaches

Every NFL offseason brings changes. That’s especially true for teams that didn’t make the playoffs. The first changes often involve the coaches. At least the Minnesota Vikings aren’t one of the eight teams looking for a new head coach. At a minimum, head coach Kevin O’Connell will be/is looking for a new safeties coach. Michael Hutchings was hired in 2023 to assist with the defensive backs. He was promoted to safeties coach in 2024. In three years, he’s impressed and his future is bright. It’s so bright, that Cal hired him to be the defensive coordinator for new head coach Tosh Lupoi. As a Vikings fan, I hate to see him go. As a Cal alumnus, I love the hire. It’s a fine line. If the Vikings lose only Hutchings, it will be a nice offseason. As has been the case since he was hired after the 2022 season, the annual Brian Flores watch is on. He’s been a revelation as the Vikings defensive coordinator. He’s deserving of a head coach opportunity. He’s been kept from that opportunity by a controversial three-year stint as the Miami Dolphins, a lawsuit against the league, and perhaps a splash of racism amongst a collection of rich, white owners. Personally, I want Flores to be handling the Vikings defense for eternity. Honestly, he deserves another shot at running a team. This is the third offseason that the Vikings have waited for Flores to wade through the head coach opportunities available to him. So far this year, the Baltimore Ravens are the only team that has requested an interview. He has that interview this week. If Flores does get that deserved opportunity to run a team, the Vikings top internal candidate to replace him is probably pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach Daronte Jones. The problem there is that he’s drawn the interest from a teams across the league with defensive coordinator needs. He interviewed with some teams last year and he’s getting interview requests this year. If the Vikings were to lose both, it’d create some huge defensive coaching holes. 

As for the rest of the Vikings coaching staff, it’s wait and see. Some might see needed changes with the offensive line coaches. The offensive line has been an issue for more than a decade. An overhaul of the interior of the line last offseason was a big reason for optimism going into the season. Due to a ridiculous run of injuries, they were a problem rather than a solution. Line coach Chris Kuper and assistant Keith Carter rarely knew what players would be available until a game’s first snap. It’s tough to get a group ready to play when you never know who might make up that group. The Vikings offensive line must play better. That’s obvious. My belief is that the problems this year were simply because of the injuries. While I lean towards giving Kuper and Carter a pass on this past year and an opportunity for another year, I can’t help but think of the coaches that seem to get solid line play no matter the players available. The Vikings special teams got some criticism through the season. There were some glaring mistakes but, overall, each of the groups played well and seemed to grade well. I think Matt Daniels and Dalmin Gibson are safe. 

At the moment, here’s the Vikings coaching staff. 

Minnesota Vikings Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Kevin O’Connell

Assistant Head Coach: Mike Pettine

Offensive Coordinator: Wes Phillips

Defensive Coordinator: Brian Flores

Special Teams Coordinator: Matt Daniels

Offense:

Quarterbacks: Josh McCown

Assistant Offensive Coordinator/Assistant Quarterbacks: Jordan Traylor

Senior Offensive Assistant: Chris O’Hara

Run Game Coordinator/Running Backs: Curtis Modkins

Receivers: Keenan McCardell

Assistant Receivers: Tony Sorrentino

Pass Game Coodinator/Tight Ends: Brian Angelichio

Offensive Line: Chris Kuper

Assistant Offensive Line: Keith Carter

Pass Game Specialist/Game Management Coordinator: Ryan Cordell

Quality Control: Derron Montgomery

Offensive Assistant: Ben Ellefson

Assistant to the Head Coach: Henry Schneider IV

Defense:

Defensive Line: Marcus Dixon

Assistant Defensive Line: Imarjaye Albury Sr.

Inside Linebackers: Mike Siravo

Outside Linebackers: Thad Bogardus

Assistant Outside Linebackers: Patrick Hill

Pass Game Coordinator/Defensive Backs: Daronte Jones

Safeties: ?

Quality Control: Chenzo Funari

Defensive Assistant: Charlie Frye

Special Teams:

Assistant Special Teams: Dalmin Gibson

Minnesota Vikings Free Agents

Thirty-plus years of free agency have turned every NFL offseason into a roster churn. The first decisions facing teams are whether to bring back their own free agents. The Minnesota Vikings will have some difficult decisions to make this offseason. The difficulty starts with being nearly $40 million over the estimated 2026 salary cap. The Vikings must get under the cap before they can even make decisions on their own free agents. Here’s a look at the players with expiring contracts. 

Unrestricted Free Agents

C.J. Ham, FB

Eric Wilson, LB

Jeff Okudah, CB

Tavierre Thomas, S

Justin Skule, OT

Rondale Moore, WR

Ryan Wright, P

Carson Wentz, QB

Andrew DePaola, LS

Matt Nelson, OT

Brett Rypien, QB

Ty Chandler, RB

Jalen Nailor, WR

Restricted Free Agents

Ivan Pace, LB

Ben Sims, TE

Exclusive Rights Free Agents

Bo Richter, OLB

Jalen Redmond, DT

Zavier Scott, RB

It’s a good thing that the Vikings don’t have a lot of must-sign free agents. The one player that I consider must-sign is defensive tackle Jalen Redmond and he’s an exclusive rights free agent. 

Among the unrestricted free agents, the following are the players I’d most like to see return.

Eric Wilson

Ryan Wright

It’d be nice to have Jalen Nailor return but I’m guessing he’s going to be offered a deal in free agency the Vikings can’t afford to match. He’s probably also looking for an increased opportunity that he probably won’t get behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. 

The only thing that might give the Vikings pause about bringing back long snapper Andrew DePaola is that he’s going to be 39 during the 2026 season. He’s still one of the best in the league. I don’t see that changing at the grand age of 39. 

Receiver Rondale Moore is a curiosity. I really wanted to see him get an opportunity last season. That was taken away when he tore his ACL in a preseason game. Do the Vikings bring him back? I’d be for it. 

Over the next month, the Vikings will be making decisions on their current players. Then come the decisions on the players with expiring contracts. 

NFL Head Coach and General Manager Churn

There was a moment, not all that long ago, that it looked like a light year in the NFL’s annual head coach churn. Every year, it feels like at least seven or eight teams are looking for a new head coach. This year wasn’t light for long. Two teams fired their head coach during the season. A few more seemed inevitable after the season. Having four to six teams looking for a new coach felt light. “Black Monday” should be “Black Week” as the firings kept dropping as the days passed. By the end of the week, eight teams are now looking for a new head coach.

New York Giants

Fired: Brian Dabol

Tennessee Titans

Fired: Brian Callahan

Arizona Cardinals

Fired: Jonathan Gannon

Atlanta Falcons 

Fired: Raheem Morris

Baltimore Ravens

Fired: John Harbaugh

Cleveland Browns

Fired: Kevin Stefanski

Las Vegas Raiders

Fired: Pete Carroll

Miami Dolphins

Fired: Mike McDaniel

While I thought that this might be a light churn, the John Harbaugh firing is the only that I truly found surprising. 18 consistently successful seasons and a Super Bowl title felt like strong reasons for at least another year. Perhaps swap Todd Monken for an offensive coordinator that was a better fit with Lamar Jackson. I expected tweaks to the Ravens coaches rather than kicking Harbaugh out the door. I don’t expect him to be unemployed long.

The cycle is fairly light when it comes to the annual general manager churn. There are only two teams looking for a new general manager.

Atlanta Falcons

Fired: Terry Fontenot

Miami Dolphins

Fired: Chris Grier

Since both teams are also looking for a new head coach, the general manager search, interviews, and hiring should proceed at a nice pace.

Current Interview Requests:

Head Coach

New York Giants

Mike Kafka - Giants interim head coach

Vance Joseph - Broncos DC

Kevin Stefanski - former Browns head coach

Klint Kubiak - Seahawks OC

Mike McCarthy - former Cowboys head coach

Lou Anarumo - Colts DC

Raheem Morris - former Falcons head coach

Antonio Pierce - former Raiders head coach

Darren Rizzi - Broncos assistant head coach

Tennessee Titans

Matt Nagy - Chiefs OC

Vance Joseph - Broncos DC

Steve Spagnuoulo - Chiefs DC

Lou Anarumo - Colts DC

Raheem Morris - former Falcons head coach

Kevin Stefanski - former Browns head coach

Jason Garrett - former Cowboys head coach

Jeff Hafley - Packers DC

Arthur Smith - Steelers OC

Robert Saleh - 49ers DC

Kliff Kingsbury - former Commanders OC

Mike McCarthy - former Cowboys head coach

Mike McCoy - Titans interim head coach

Mike McDaniel - former Dolphins head coach

Jesse Minter - Chargers DC

Chris Shula - Rams DC

Arizona Cardinals

Vance Joseph - Broncos DC

Robert Saleh - 49ers DC

Anthony Weaver - Dolphins DC

Klint Kubiak - Seahawks OC

Thomas Brown - Patriots passing game coordinator 

Matt Nagy - Chiefs OC

Raheem Morris - former Falcons head coach

Jeff Hafley - Packers DC

Thomas Brown - Patriots passing game coordinator

Atlanta Falcons

Klint Kubiak - Seahawks OC

Anthony Weaver - Dolphins DC

Vance Joseph - Broncos DC

Kevin Stefanski - former Browns head coach

Jeff Hafley - Packers DC

Robert Saleh - 49ers DC

Aden Durde - Seahawks DC

Baltimore Ravens

Vance Joseph - Broncos DC

Davis Webb - Broncos QB coach

Anthony Weaver - Dolphins DC

Klint Kubiak - Seahawks OC

Brian Flores - Vikings DC

Matt Nagy - Chiefs OC

Kliff Kingsbury - former Commanders OC

Robert Saleh - 49ers DC

Joe Brady - Bills OC

Kevin Stefanski - former Browns head coach

Cleveland Browns 

Todd Monken - Ravens OC

Aden Durde - Seahawks DC

Dan Pitcher - Bengals OC

Tommy Rees - Browns OC

Jim Schwartz - Browns DC

Mike McDaniel - former Dolphins head coach

Jesse Minter - Chargers DC

Las Vegas Raiders

Vance Joseph - Broncos DC

Klint Kubiak - Seahawks OC

Davis Webb - Broncos QB coach

Matt Nagy - Chiefs OC

Miami Dolphins

Klint Kubiak - Seahawks OC

Robert Saleh - 49ers DC

Chris Shula - Rams DC

For merely sentimental reasons, it’d be pretty cool to see Don Shula’s grandson coaching the Dolphins. 

General Manager

Atlanta Falcons

Ian Cunningham - Bears assistant GM

Josh Williams - 49ers director of scouting football

Miami Dolphins

Chad Alexander - Chargers assistant GM

Champ Kelly - Dolphins interim GM

Jon-Eric Sullivan - Packers VP of Player Personnel

Josh Williams - 49ers director of scouting football

The Dolphins acted fast as they found their new general manager: Jon-Eric Sullivan. 

Flea Flicker Wild Card Predictions

It’s the playoffs! Here are some guesses at the Wild Card games. 

Los Angeles Rams @ Carolina Panthers

Pick: Rams

This is the most wide open playoffs that I can remember. The Panthers are the one team I don’t see with a chance.

Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears

Pick: Packers

It’s the third game this season in the most contested rivalry in league history. The Bears lost the first one and got a lucky win in the second. It seems like the Bears need Caleb Williams miracles to win any game. That’s no way to be consistently successful.

Buffalo Bills @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Pick: Bills

This is more a pick of Josh Allen than anything. 

San Francisco 49ers @ Philadelphia Eagles

Pick: 49ers

This may be more wanting the 49ers to win than thinking they win.

Los Angeles Chargers @ New England Patriots

Pick: Chargers

Justin Herbert finally gets a playoff win.

Houston Texans @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Pick: Texans

The Steelers are right there with the Panthers as teams with zero chance in a wide open playoffs. 

Minnesota Vikings Futures Contracts

The first move of any NFL offseason is the signing of players to futures contracts. As a fan of a team, it’s a sad reminder that a season is over. On Monday, the Minnesota Vikings signed eight players to futures contracts. 

Dontae Fleming, WR

Kahlef Hailassie, S

Josh Ross, LB

Vershon Lee, OL

Caleb Etienne, OT

Joaquin Davis, WR

Jeshaun Jones, WR

Bryson Nesbit, TE

All eight players were on the Vikings practice squad. Their shot with the Vikings continues. Perhaps more exciting, the Vikings signed two players out of the Canadian Football League. 

Jaylon Hutchings, DL

Jacob Roberts, LB

Adding new players is always exciting. Both players played for the Calgary Stampeders. 

Jaylon Hutchings was named All-CFL in his single season with the Stampeders. With eight sacks and 39 tackles, he was one of the league’s best defensive linemen. Undrafted out of Texas Tech in the 2024 NFL Draft, Hutchings signed with the Chicago Bears but was released during roster cutdowns. Then it was on to Canada. It’s difficult to not think of Jalen Redmond when seeing the signing of Hutchings. Both probably would’ve been drafted out of college if not for health concerns. Both were signed out of another professional football league. Both play on the defensive line. Redmond started making his presence felt at the end of the 2024 season. So much so, he was one of the team’s most intriguing players going into the 2025 season. He was all set to become an important part of the Vikings defensive linemen rotation. He performed so well during training camp that Harrison Phillips was traded to the New York Jets. In his first season as a starter, Jalen Redmond became an impact player, a Pro Bowl snub, and a franchise fixture moving forward. Maybe, Jaylon Hutchings can take a similar path.

Jacob Roberts played college football at North Carolina AT&T and Wake Forest. Undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, he headed to the CFL. He joined the Calgary Stampeders during the 2024 season. In a full 2025 season, Roberts had a team-leading 93 tackles. He also had four sacks, a forced fumble, and 10 special teams tackles. Now, he has an NFL shot with the Vikings.

Flea Flicker 2025 NFL Awards

Here’s a look at some of the best players of the 2025 NFL season. 

Most Valuable Player

Myles Garrett, DE, Cleveland Browns

This award doesn’t always have to go a quarterback. This was a year in which definitely shouldn’t go to a quarterback. 

Offensive Player of the Year

Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons

Defensive Player of the Year

Myles Garrett, DE, Cleveland Browns

Comeback Player of the Year

Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers

Coach of the Year

Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Tyler Warren, TE, Indianapolis Colts

Defensive Rookie of the Year

Carson Schwesinger, LB, Cleveland Browns

All-Pro Team

Quarterback

Drake Maye, New England Patriots

Running Back

Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons

Fullback

C.J. Ham, Minnesota Vikings 

Wide Receivers

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattles Seahawks

Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams

Tight End

Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals

Offensive Tackles

Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers

Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions

Offensive Guards

Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis Colts

Quinn Meinerz, Denver Broncos

Center

Aaron Brewer, Miami Dolphins

Defense

Edge Rushers

Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns 

Danielle Hunter, Houston Texans

Interior Defensive Linemen

Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee Titans

Leonard Williams, Seattle Seahawks

Linebackers

Zach Baun, Philadelphia Eagles

Blake Cashman, Minnesota Vikings

Devin Loyd, Jacksonville Jaguars

Cornerbacks

Derrick Stingley Jr., Houston Texans

Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks

Safeties

Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens

Jalen Pitre, Houston Texans

Special Teams

Kicker

Will Reichard, Minnesota Vikings

Punter

Ryan Wright, Minnesota Vikings

Long Snapper

Andrew DePaola, Minnesota Vikings 

Kick Returner

Ray Davis, Buffalo Bills

Punt Returner

Chimere Dike, Tennessee Titans

Minnesota Vikings 2025 Superlatives

I already miss Minnesota Vikings football. Seeing as the Vikings have never won a Super Bowl, every season has ended with disappointment. The day that it doesn’t is coming! And it’s coming soon! Anyway, that day is for another day. This day is a little look back at the season that just ended. Here are some of the Minnesota Vikings Superlatives for the 2025 season.

Most Valuable Player

Justin Jefferson, WR

The Minnesota Vikings 2025 season was frustrating. Much of those frustrations was seen weekly in the face of the face of the team. Justin Jefferson is the team’s best player. He’s the best receiver in the league and one of the best the league has ever seen. He’s a game-changer and too often this season he wasn’t given the chance to change games. The Vikings focused on fixing the offensive line in the offseason. They overhauled the interior. The five expected starters played a total of 83 snaps together. 83! That’s a robust number for a single game. It’s a tiny number for an entire season. Injuries forced the Vikings to start a different offensive line in nearly every game. Right guard Will Fries was the only offensive lineman that played every game. The offensive line injuries and the resulting inconsistencies were a big reason the Vikings offense struggled for much of the season. The quarterbacks were under siege. Starter J.J. McCarthy missed 7 games to three injuries. Backup Carson Wentz played most of his five games with a seriously injured left shoulder. It was an injury that ultimately required surgery and ended his season. Third-string Max Brosmer was forced to start two games and finish two other games. He wasn’t ready. All of those difficulties was easily seen in Jefferson’s frustrations this year. Far too often he was never given the opportunity to change games. His statistics reflected that. It’s actually remarkable that he was still able to pass 1000 receiving yards for the season. It might be more appropriate to award a defensive player the team’s MVP award. Or even the kicker. It can be argued that Will Reichard had the best season of any Vikings player. I’m going with Justin Jefferson for the leadership that he showed throughout a very difficult season.

Offensive Player of the Year

Will Fries, G

The Viking offense wasn’t good in 2025. Injuries throughout the offensive line were a big part of that. Will Fries was one of the big free agent signings of the offseason. He missed most of his final season with the Indianapolis Colts with a severely broken leg. Perhaps as a result of that, it might’ve taken a while to get his feet back under him this season. He improved with each week. Most importantly, he was the only offensive lineman that was available for every game. For that reason, he’s the Vikings Offensive Player of the Year. 

Defensive Player of the Year

Jalen Redmond, DL

As a rookie, Jalen Redmond was a revelation late last season. Going into this season, it felt like he’d have a significant rotational role on the defensive line. Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave were big free agent additions. Harrison Phillips was the team’s best run stuffer. A defensive line of Allen, Phillips, and Hargrave was expected to be a team strength. It became evident through training camp that Redmond was ready for an even bigger role. A much bigger role. He was performing so well that Phillips was deemed expendable and was traded to the New York Jets. Redmond earned a starting role. The Vikings defense eventually rounded into one of the league’s best. Jalen Redmond was a big reason for that. He was a Pro Bowl snub. Hopefully, the All-Pro voters will treat him more fairly. With six sacks, he was one of the league’s best interior pass rushers. His 62 tackles help show his impact against the run. 

Jalen Redmond has emerged as one of the team’s defensive fixtures. 

Special Teams Player of the Year

Will Reichard, K

The Vikings actually have some contenders for this award. Punter Ryan Wright had his best season. Rookie Myles Price emerged as an impact returner. Despite that, this is an easy one. Will Reichard had an absolutely ridiculous season. He was perfect on extra points. There’s an argument that he was also perfect on field goals. The record book will show that Reichard missed two field goals. His first miss of the season hit a camera wire in London. His second miss might’ve hit a camera wire. With a long of 62 yards, the Vikings are in Reichard’s range when they reach the 50-yard line. 

The Vikings have a problematic kicking history. After two seasons with Will Reichard, I no longer cringe when the Vikings kicker comes on the field. 

Rookie of the Year

Donovan Jackson, G

I thought that Donovan Jackson was terrific from the start. In reality, he had a steady rise through the season. Wrist surgery after the win over the Cincinnati Bengals kept him out of the international games. He also missed the Seattle Seahawks game. In his 14 games as a rookie, he played like the guard the Vikings have long sought.  Jackson and Christian Darrisaw will form one of the best left sides in the league. 

Offseason Addition of the Year

Eric Wilson, LB

The Vikings hit the free agency jackpot in 2024. The 2025 class didn’t have quite the impact but there are multiple contenders for this award. Running back Jordan Mason and guard Will Fries on offense. Linebacker Eric Wilson and cornerback Isaiah Rodgers on defense. The decision is actually an easy one. When Eric Wilson was signed in the offseason it made for a nice story. He started his career in Minnesota in 2017. For four years, he was a very good special teams player and reliable backup on defense. The he left for the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency and eventually found a home with a solid three-year run with the Green Bay Packers. His return to Minnesota was a nice homecoming. Blake Cashman’s injury in Week 1 put him on the field. He played so well that the Vikings couldn’t take him off. There were several games in which Wilson was the team’s most impactful defensive player. He was no longer just a reliable backup. He was an integral part of one of the league’s best defenses. His stats rank with the best off-the-ball linebackers in the league.

115 tackles

6.5 sacks

17 tackles for loss

4 forced fumbles

Signed as a supplemental player, Wilson played at a Pro Bowl/All-Pro level.

Assistant Coach of the Year

Brian Flores, Defensive Coordinator

This award is as easy as the Special Teams Player of the Year. After getting though some early injuries, the Vikings defense really hit their stride over the last half of the season. Over the past month, they might’ve been the league’s best defense. Brian Flores deserves another head coaching opportunity. My dream is that he’s the Vikings defensive coordinator for life.