Matt Daniels and Brian Flores never coached Eric Wilson because Wilson signed with the Philadelphia Eagles after the 2020 season. After tensions boiled over during the quarantine season, the Minnesota Vikings fired Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell took over in 2021, and O’Connell hired Daniels as his special teams coach. He hired Flores a year later.
Daniels, 35, is young and charismatic. He’s old enough to have played special teams for the St. Louis Rams and San Diego Chargers, but still younger than Harrison Smith. Daniels has a nickname for each of his players, and he’s mostly stabilized special teams for a franchise known for missed kicks.
However, Daniels is open to a little help, and he was pleased to see Wilson taking matters into his own hands at minicamp last week.
“I just came from over there, and he’s got the entire rookie group going over punt protection,” said Daniels. “He’s running a full-on drill.”
Wilson joined the Vikings as an undrafted linebacker out of Cincinnati in 2017. He only made 10 starts in his first three seasons, but made 15 and had three picks in 2020. Wilson signed with Philadelphia in 2021 but finished the year with the Houston Texans. He has spent the last three seasons with the Green Bay Packers before signing with Minnesota in the offseason.
“Feels great. I’m loving it,” Wilson said when a reporter asked about returning to Minnesota. “When my agent first brought it up, it was, I don’t know, I guess it was kind of surprising at first. But the more I thought about it, the more I loved it, so I’m glad to be back.”
Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks were Minnesota’s star linebackers in Wilson’s rookie season. Barr had been in the league three years; Kendricks two. The former UCLA teammates mentored Wilson as he adjusted to the NFL.
“It feels like yesterday [that] I was just here my rookie year,” he said. “EK and AB [showed me the ropes].”
Barr and Kendricks played 10 years in the NFL. Barr finished his career with the Vikings in 2023, and Kendricks is a free agent after playing for the Dallas Cowboys last season. Wilson, 30, learned the game from them, and that positional versatility will extend his career.
“We talk about [longevity] a lot,” said Wilson. “Just having a high football IQ. Playing different positions has helped me in such a way, taking care of your body and just loving the game. The more you love it, the more you’re going to do.”
Wilson sounds like the perfect match for Flores, whose bespoke defense has turned Josh Metellus and Andrew Van Ginkel into stars. Like Wilson, the previous regime drafted Metellus, and the Miami Dolphins drafted Van Ginkel when Flores was coaching there.
Van Ginkel signed a $23 million contract in the offseason, and Minnesota is working out a deal with Metellus.
“It could kind of be anything,” said Wilson, regarding his role in Flores’ defense. “Honestly, the defense is so versatile. I think a lot of guys get put into different positions. So you got to kind of, like I said, be ready to play any position.”
Wilson will also provide value to Daniels, who appreciates having another coach in the meeting rooms and on the field.
“Eric is an eight-year vet,” said Daniels. “Guys like that could easily be in shooting whatever with the guys inside. But he’s out here. And, you know, what you appreciate so much is he pours so much into the young guys just from a ‘Hey, I see it this way. You know, I can help you out this way. Think of it like this.’”
Wilson can act like he’s been there before because he’s been in the league for nearly 10 years and is returning to Minnesota. He still doesn’t know his role on defense or special teams. Still, he’s already carved out responsibilities as a team leader. Not a bad gig for an undrafted player who remembers learning from Barr and Kendricks like it was yesterday.
