The Minnesota Vikings are having an identity crisis.
No, this doesn’t have anything to do with their Seattle Seahawks cosplay after Sam Darnold left town. Nor does it have to do with their status in the NFC North, a division so tough that they could finish outside of the playoffs with another nine-win season.
There are other things where you might have to squint and figure out who the Vikings will be in 2026. But the most difficult right now is identifying the face of the franchise.
You may be sitting at home screaming “JUSTIN JEFFERSON” at your cell phone. And you may be right. But another figure that has a valid argument is Kevin O’Connell. A coach tasked with getting a starting lineup that ESPN ranked 22nd in the NFL to play above its potential, O’Connell may be the main character in Minnesota this season, and it’s a fair question to wonder if that’s a good thing — in 2026 and beyond.
Again, Jefferson is an obviously worthy opponent. People aren’t doing O’Connell hype speeches at Midwestern weddings as much as they’re landing on their face attempting The Griddy. The only place where O’Connell’s meandering responses fit in is at the dentist or your in-laws’ house. There won’t be a single O’Connell jersey at U.S. Bank Stadium this fall, but he draws just as much attention thanks to the current state of the franchise.
The Vikings are a good team, but outside of Jefferson, there isn’t a real superstar on the team. A survey conducted by The Athletic’s Alec Lewis showed that most fans have Andrew Van Ginkel or Will Reichard as their second-favorite Viking behind Jefferson, but it’s O’Connell who has to become the straw that stirs the drink.
The answer goes back to the 2024 season. Yes, Darnold played at an MVP-level and led the Vikings to 14 wins. But it was O’Connell who schemed an offense that allowed him to regain his confidence and put up those numbers. Even behind the social media gold in the locker room, O’Connell had the attention of every player in the locker room, giving them a true belief until they crashed out in the final two games.
Even in 2025, O’Connell was a main character. After failing to integrate J.J. McCarthy into his first year as a starter, he propped up Carson Wentz for a cameo and even helped Max Brosmer earn a victory over the Detroit Lions. Even after all the turmoil that came with a 4-8 start, O’Connell motivated his team to hold off on booking their trips to Cancun, scoring five straight wins to finish with a winning record.
When Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was fired a few months later, O’Connell had his real star turn, like Shawn Michaels throwing Marty Janetty through the barber shop window. With interim GM Rob Brzezinski by his side, he brought in Kyler Murray and it’s now O’Connell’s job to prop up either McCarthy or Murray to take them back to the playoffs and win a game once they’re there.
But it’s not just the quarterback that he has to worry about. This is a team that most football fans outside of Minnesota may not recognize unless they’re in a deep fantasy league. Their corners and safeties are about as no-name as they come and the front seven took a massive hit when Jonathan Greenard was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Brian Flores can shoulder some of that load as one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL. But O’Connell is pulling the strings and will have to motivate that group to get the best out of them.
The Wilf family has suggested he’s the man for the job. They kept him after firing Adofo-Mensah, and the hiring of Nolan Teasley is coming with the caveat that they’ll play nice long enough to bring them a championship. There’s also the chance that the Wilfs value O’Connell’s ability to drag the Vikings to a winning season in 2025 one year ago more than the 13-win campaign in 2022 and the 14-win campaign in 2024, giving him an even bigger presence on the franchise.
This is where we can argue whether this is a good thing. Coaches have become the face of the franchise elsewhere, like Mike Tomlin with the Pittsburgh Steelers or Bill Belichick with the New England Patriots. But Tomlin also had Ben Roethlisberger while Belichick had Tom Brady. Even John Harbaugh had Lamar Jackson with the Baltimore Ravens while Andy Reid has Patrick Mahomes.
There’s also the fact that O’Connell has a significant say in the Vikings’ operations along with Teasley, which adds another layer to the power that he has received.
Compare this to Jefferson and it’s a different dynamic. While Jefferson is one of the most electrifying players in the league on Sundays, O’Connell is working around the clock to help the Vikings realize their potential. It’s not going to sell jerseys, but it has an even bigger impact on wins and losses, which may give O’Connell the edge.
If O’Connell wins an elusive playoff game, there’s a chance that stature could grow. And for as big as Jefferson is, O’Connell may be the bigger force that determines just what exactly the Vikings are in 2026 and beyond.
