‘We’ve already naturally seen it’ — Kevin O’Connell makes bold statement about approach in the final three games

Kevin O’Connell discusses the delicate balance of trying to win and getting young players snaps after the Minnesota Vikings were eliminated from the playoffs.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Oct 19, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell looks on during warm-ups before the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

With three games remaining in the 2025 season, the Minnesota Vikings are eliminated from the playoffs and the injuries are mounting.

Just in the last week, the Vikings placed edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, safety Josh Metellus, and left tackle Christian Darrisaw on injured reserve. It was the smart decision to shut all three players down since there isn’t much to play for.

Even so, the Vikings still have three games left to play, and balancing things with their approach can be a delicate process.

Kevin O’Connell understands balancing winning and taking care of players

With three “meaningless” games remaining, how will Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell balance trying to win by playing starters that aren’t 100% versus playing younger players to get them snaps. For the Vikings, that isn’t much of an issue, because that’s been the theme of 2025.

“Whether it’s on the defensive side, with the news from earlier in this week about JG [Jonathan
Greenard] and Josh Metellus, obviously, Justin Skule’s played a lot of football. Blake [Brandel]
has played a lot of football. Joe Huber’s gotten some time in there, in a game we won against the
Browns in London,” said O’Connell on Friday. And then, we’ve had three different guys play center throughout the year, so at certain spots, we’ve already naturally seen it throughout the year, just dealing with some of the injury adversity that you deal with, that every team deals with throughout an NFL season.”

O’Connell has a strong point, as the Vikings have already dealt with a bevy of injuries, especially on the offensive line, with nine players getting starts, including Brandel at multiple positions. However, seeing a player like Huber in just one game begs the question: Should you get him in there to get a larger sample size? It can be a difficult decision.

“I think the key is, in your reference to you making the decision, this is a collaborative thing based
upon each individual player, and ultimately, what gives us the best chance to win with the starting
point being, what’s best for each individual player?” said O’Connell.

Simply put, the Vikings are going to play who they need to within reason to get the win over the next three weeks, and in turn, do right by their players in the process. Culture matters, and that’s the focus every time for O’Connell.

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