Kevin O’Connell’s body language while talking about Sam Darnold suggests he’s out of Minnesota after awful playoff loss to Rams
Head coach Kevin O'Connell's body language convinced fans that quarterback Sam Darnold’s time in Minnesota would soon come to an end.
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Sam Darnold and Kevin O'Connell (Via NY Post/SI)
The Minnesota Vikings are officially out of playoff contention as their quarterback stumbled in back-to-back games, costing the team a playoff victory. Now as he moves forward to the offseason, fans are convinced he will not be returning to the Vikings, especially after Kevin O’Connell’s recent press conference.
While it’s undeniable that Sam Darnold astounded everyone by bringing the Vikings 14 wins and advancing to the playoffs, his performance dropped significantly in the past couple of weeks. As he approaches the free agency, his market value has also crashed after recent setbacks including the playoffs loss to Los Angeles.
In the post-game press conference, the Vikings head coach reflected on the glorious season they had until Week 18 and appreciated Darnold’s progress. However, his body language got fans convinced that O’Connell is planning to change the starting quarterback for next season, which could bring Darnold’s time in Minnesota to an end.
A winning quarterback this year and the consistency at the times he had it throughout the year and what that meant for our team because I think that can stay with him moving forward as he goes back to work. Proud of him. Sam and the journey him and I went on this year will always be something that’s a special place in my heart for sure.
Kevin O’Connell said
The way Kevin O’Connell talks about Sam Darnold here really signals that he’s gone 👀
— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) January 14, 2025
“I think that can stay with him moving forward… Sam and that journey him and I went on will always be something that’s a special place in my heart.” pic.twitter.com/noQChHpGNh
Though O’Connell did not specifically say anything about Darnold’s future with the team, his reflection of their journey suggested that the Wild-Card game was the last they played as a team. After all, next year the Vikings will have J.J. McCarthy back in full health, whom they drafted in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Kevin O’Connell highlights Sam Darnold’s unexpected success in 2024
Even though the Vikings’ journey in the postseason was cut short in the very first game they played, the fact they reached this far certainly deserves appreciation. While addressing the media, O’Connell made sure to praise Darnold for the successful run of 2024 and for exceeding all expectations.
What he was able to do this year, when not very many people thought he would be able to lead a team to 14 wins, which is rare. The way he came in, committed himself to just a daily process to be the best version of himself.
Kevin O’Connell said, via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert
Though he admitted the star quarterback could have played better against the Rams, which he himself knows very well as he took responsibility for the defeat. The future for Darnold will become clearer in the next few months.
Related: Ex-Super Bowl champion wants Steelers to fire Mike Tomlin after yet another playoff loss
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Pratyusha Srivastava
(2078 Articles Published)