'We know what we signed up for' Kevin O'Connell's comments on Robert Saleh's firing show why he's the right guy for the Vikings

It's not too often that you get a win which results in the opposing coach getting fired. That happened on Sunday when the Minnesota Vikings beat the New York Jets 23-17 and the latter fired head coach Robert Saleh two days later. During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show earlier this week, O'Connell gave […]

Tyler Forness NFL & College Football News Writer
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Oct 6, 2024; London, United Kingdom; New York Jets coach Robert Saleh (left) and Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell shake hands after the game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It's not too often that you get a win which results in the opposing coach getting fired. That happened on Sunday when the Minnesota Vikings beat the New York Jets 23-17 and the latter fired head coach Robert Saleh two days later.

During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show earlier this week, O'Connell gave an impressive answer about Saleh's firing.

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We know what we signed up for days like this. Or, you know when you think about the person, the family. I think Robert Saleh is a great football coach. There's a reason why he's had the success that he's had in this league before this job, and he'll have success again after this job. I do know that I think very highly of Robert and the man, the person, and he'll he'll get back up on his feet. But like I said, we all know what we signed up for. This is an incredibly competitive league. We know what the task is. Every single day you show up to work as a head coach in the National Football League, and doesn't make it any easier. Doesn't make it any easier as a fellow coach, to see news like that, and I'll certainly be thinking about him and his family, but I know he's gonna, he's gonna be just fine."


When the Vikings hired O'Connell in February of 2022, they didn't just hire an offensive mind, they hired the person. That was on full display in this interview with McAfee, as O'Connell gave a very honest and thoughtful answer about the situation.

You can see the kind of compassion that O'Connell has in this answer and he shows it consistently on the field and in the locker room. With the Vikings on the precipice of a potential Super Bowl run, they are lucky to have O'Connell at the helm.