Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell sat down with the Athletic to talk about the current state of his team. Excitement is in the air for his team, even though his quarterback situation has changed.
Kevin O’Connell sat down with the Minnesota Vikings beat writer, Alec Lewis, for the Athletic and gave some statements about the Vikings heading into 2024. One of the main topics was the quarterback situation and how it related to the situation of star wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
Minnesota lost its franchise quarterback, Kirk Cousins, to the Atlanta Falcons. O’Connell said he and Jefferson admired Cousins, but O’Connell also added that he thinks Jefferson is “very excited” about what’s possible with a new quarterback.
Justin Jefferson: Pillar of Leadership for the Minnesota Vikings
O’Connell was adamant about Jefferson’s impact on his team. Leader and captain were words that came up frequently.
“O’Connell said Monday he has talked to superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson several times this offseason. The coach said he views the receiver as a “pillar of leadership for our organization.'”
Alec goes on in his article to say that “Jefferson became a first-time team captain last year. He understands the leadership role and embraces it. Any young player entering the NFL needs older, accomplished players to lean on. Why shouldn’t Jefferson—one of the most accomplished young players of all time—be one of those voices?”
Justin Jefferson will be a veteran voice regardless of who the quarterback ends up being.
Minnesota Vikings Quarterback Situation
Replacing Kirk Cousins is no small feat. The Vikings will likely need to rely on a few names to step into that role.
Sam Darnold was signed soon after the Cousins decision was announced. Darnold, 26, is a six-year NFL veteran having played for the Jets, the Panthers, and the 49ers. He has yet to play a snap for O’Connell but was in a similar system last year with Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers.
Darnold isn’t likely the only name in the quarterback room that Vikings fans recognize. It is widely agreed that the Vikings will draft a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft. The question is, which one?
The Vikings sit with the 11th and 23rd overall picks in the first round. They recently acquired the 23rd in a trade with the Texans. Speculation has the Vikings using both picks to trade up to get the quarterback they are aiming for.
Odds have J.J. McCarthy or Bo Nix as likely options, although recently, J.J. has entered the conversation as a top-three pick. It is tough to say if the Vikings have enough to move into the position they want/need for their future quarterback, but all reports lean towards them trying.
Jefferson will wait in anticipation to see if the Vikings can move in this year’s draft for their future quarterback or if they will stick with veteran Sam Darnold. Either way, his excitement has been noted.
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