With Super Bowl LVI right around the corner, Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell is still having to tiptoe around the fact that he’s expected to be named as the next head coach for the Minnesota Vikings.
However, while hanging out and enjoying the Pro Bowl festivities in Las Vegas, Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson and running back Dalvin Cook had some thoughts on the eventual hire.
“I’ve been watching the Rams’ offense for a minute now,’’ Jefferson told NFL Network. “They get their playmakers the ball. They have some tremendous plays. Cooper Kupp wide open all the time. So I’m excited for it. This is my first head coach that’s going to be on the offensive side instead of the defensive side, so I’m happy.”
Jefferson broke Rams receiver Odell Beckham Jr.’s record for most receiving yards in his first two seasons in the NFL in 2021. He has compiled 3,016 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns under the tutelage of former Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer.
Imagine what he could do under O’Connell. The scariest thought is he’s only 22 years old and clearly hasn’t reached his peak yet. If you’re already getting tired of The Griddy, you should probably turn the channel because Jefferson is about to have NFL Sundays looking like a Dancing with the Stars episode.
Cook is also excited about working with O’Connell. He even brought up the coach’s connection with Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins from his days with the Washington Commanders.
“[O’Connell] was with Kirk in Washington, so Kirk has been kind of telling me, ‘Great guy to be around. Full of energy. Going to bring the energy,’’’ Cook said on NFL Network, via the Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson. “So I’m just looking forward to it. It’s a new opportunity, new era, new energy, so we got to take advantage of it. … We got a new head man, we got a new GM, so we just got to put the right people around us, and we just got to go get it.”
The new regime is already bringing a sense of rejuvenation to a Vikings team that clearly has the talent to be a contender. Cook is spot on.
It’s up to them to go and get it.
