Kevin O’Connell’s offense was the worst in his Minnesota Vikings tenure, and changes should be coming
The Vikings should be making changes on the offensive staff, and Kevin O’Connell has multiple options at offensive coordinator.
The Minnesota Vikings had the worst offense the team has seen since the turn of the century, with the majority of that being due the inconsistent quarterback play.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell’s play calling has come into question multiple times throughout the season, but those got shut down after watching the all-22 coaches’ film. The biggest issues weren’t the play calls per se, but rather the play design and game planning. Those aren’t all O’Connell, and it could lead to a change.
Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips has been with O’Connell since the Los Angeles Rams days, and holds the same kind of offensive coordinator job that his boss did under Sean McVay: Running the offense during the week, but not calling plays on Sunday. With how poor the unit was this season, a change could be made. Who could be on the list? There are a lot of potential options.
Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator candidates
Arizona Cardinals OC Drew Petzing
The Cardinals just fired head coach Jonathan Gannon, which means that the assistants are likely going to be looking for new jobs. Despite the struggles over the last three years, Petzing’s unit was 12th in points and 11th in yards during the 8-9 2024 season. The reality of the Cardinals over the last few years has been the lack of talent acquired, especially on offense. Petzing deserves another chance, as he drew blood from a stone.
Miami Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel
This is a very interesting idea, but it will require the Dolphins to fire McDaniel. If that happens, his services will be very popular across the league. Things haven’t gone the way the Dolphins have wanted, but the offense has been very well designed. The biggest issue with the Dolphins was the starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. He designs a really creative running game, which is something that O’Connell needs.
Jacksonville Jaguars OC Grant Udinski
O’Connell should immediately call a familiar name in Udinski. The wunderkind was with the Vikings for three years before Liam Coen brought him to Duval. He’s viewed as a wildly intelligent offensive mind in a similar way to how Sean McVay was during his time as an assistant. He’s the only offensive coordinator who will still have a job next year, but Udinski doesn’t call plays. That could help him return to Minnesota. However, the Jaguars can block a request if they so choose.
Buffalo Bills QB coach Ronald Curry
A former college quarterback at North Carolina and wide receiver in the NFL, Curry has been a fast riser in the coaching ranks. He got his break with the San Francisco 49ers in 2014, then spent nearly a decade with the New Orleans Saints, the majority of which was with Sean Payton. He’s been with the Bills for two seasons, working with Josh Allen, and the 46-year-old has more than earned a chance to be an offensive coordinator.
Denver Broncos passing game coordinator Davis Webb
There isn’t a hotter young coach right now than Webb. Working with Payton in Denver, Webb has been responsible for maximizing Bo Nix, which in itself is impressive. He played quarterback for Mike Leach at Texas Tech, but left when a young quarterback named Patrick Mahomes. He played in the NFL from 2017-2022 before joining the coaching ranks, and at age 30, is viewed as one of the best young coaches in the sport.
Los Angeles Rams passing game specialist Nate Scheelhaase
If you want a Sean McVay disciple, Scheelhaase is your guy. He’s a former college quarterback at the University of Illinois and was a major impact at Iowa State as an assistant. He coached the likes of Breece Hall, Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, Xavier Hutchinson, and more. The passing game of the Rams is arguably the best in the league right now, and the McVay connection could be impactful in making a choice.
Detroit Lions QB coach Mark Brunell
This is another interesting connection. Both Brunell and O’Connell were in the New York Jets quarterback room together. That kind of connection is huge with many coaching hires. Brunell was a quarterback in the NFL for nearly 20 years and has been coaching since he got out of the league. Brunell spent the first nine seasons coaching in high school before joining Dan Campbell as his quarterbacks coach in 2021. His success in maximizing Jared Goff and the run game he saw with Ben Johnson at the helm could do the Vikings’ offense well. Oh, and Brunell could sling it in his day.
San Francisco 49ers WR coach Leonard Hankerson
Another former NFL player, Hankerson played wide receiver at Miami FL and in the NFL for five seasons before getting into the coaching ranks. He started in the high school ranks before moving up to UMass and Stephen F. Austin. Hankerson joined Kyle Shanahan’s staff in 2021 and got promoted to wide receivers coach in 2022, and added passing game coordinator in 2025. Who wouldn’t want to add a Shanahan disciple to your coaching staff?
A to Z Sports coaching expert weighs in
Who would be the best candidate in the group? Our coaching expert here at A to Z Sports, AJ Schulte, believes that two young candidates fit the bill: Webb and Hankerson.
“It ultimately depends on what Kevin O’Connell wants the most out of this position change. Is he looking to add someone who could save J.J. McCarthy? If so, I’d be hard-pressed to pass on Davis Webb, who has become one of the NFL’s biggest rising stars and has become Sean Payton’s right-hand man. Webb has become an integral part of Denver’s offensive plan, and I’d say he is quite comfortably maximizing Bo Nix right now.
“If Kevin O’Connell wants to inject some new blood into the room, I would be hard-pressed not to be intrigued by the possibility of adding Leonard Hankerson. While he is still technically part of the same Shanahan tree O’Connell hails from, Hankerson has been a key cog in the 49ers’ offense the last three seasons, and it’s hard to argue with his results, particularly this season. Plucking anyone away from Shanahan would always be a move I’d endorse.”
Other candidates
- Jacksonville Jaguars passing game coordinator Shane Waldron
- Houston Texans QB coach Jerrod Johnson (worked in Minnesota in 2022)
- Washington Commanders RB coach Anthony Lynn
- Western Michigan HC Lance Taylor
- Chicago Bears TE coach Jim Dray
- New England Patriots passing game coordinator and TE coach Thomas Brown
- Cincinnati Bengals passing game coordinator Justin Rascati
- New England Patriots QB coach Ashton Grant
- Jacksonville Jaguars QB coach Spencer Whipple
- Los Angeles Rams senior offensive assistant Alex Van Pelt
- Los Angeles Rams QB coach Dave Ragone