The Minnesota Vikings are in an interesting spot entering the 2026 season, but so is head coach Kevin O’Connell. This time one year ago, O’Connell’s direction was unquestioned as the reigning NFL Coach of the Year and the man who was expected to groom J.J. McCarthy into the starting role. But despite finishing with a winning record of 9-8, many feel like he’s entering a hot seat year.
A fan survey recently conducted by The Athletic’s Alec Lewis confirmed that O’Connell’s seat should be warmer this fall. Responding on a scale of 1-to-5 (five being highest) on the confidence level in him as a head coach, 33.6 percent of fans gave him a 5 on the scale.
Considering this is the highest outcome and O’Connell got a 4 or 5 grade from 80 percent of the 3,103 responses, it could be worse, but Lewis noted it’s much lower than the grades he received last season.
“Last year, more than 77 percent of survey takers gave him a 5. That figure dropped in 2026 to around 33 percent. Most Vikings fans are still confident… but fans want to see more adaptability.
...This viewpoint will become more widespread if 2026 comes and goes without postseason success, which speaks to the aforementioned prove-it nature of this season.”
Kevin O’Connell’s job could depend on a Minnesota Vikings playoff win next season
O’Connell’s overall resume suggests that it would be a mistake to let him go. Over four seasons, O’Connell has racked up an overall record of 43-25 and won an NFC North title in his first year in 2022.
His culture has been a key selling point to the Wilf family as well, who may have seen plenty of value in the fact that the Vikings rebounded from a 4-8 start to finish above .500.
While these are all great things, last season also brought underlying concerns. O’Connell seemed too stubborn to adapt his offense with an inexperienced quarterback and a leaky offensive line missing Christian Darrisaw.
With his tendency to air it out in short-yardage situations, it felt like his decisions held the Vikings' offense back at times, even with some of the worst quarterback play in the NFL.
There are also concerns as to why McCarthy didn’t succeed under O’Connell. After coming into the year with the reputation that he could turn an adult-league quarterback into a franchise signal-caller, McCarthy never seemed comfortable after injuring his ankle in a Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, and his year was filled with talks of fundamentals and drying concrete.
Truth be told, McCarthy (or perhaps Kyler Murray) and his supporting cast must play better in 2026. But O’Connell also needs to shore up his flaws if he wants to win his first playoff game.
O’Connell’s record late in the season isn’t something that he should be proud of. In 2022, the Vikings lost a Wild Card playoff game as a home favorite to the New York Giants. In 2024, O’Connell’s team was virtually run off the field by the Los Angeles Rams in a neutral environment in Phoenix.
There’s also the Week 18 meltdown against the Lions in 2024 that virtually ran Sam Darnold out of town, which gives O’Connell the vibes of a regular-season coach.
The pressure is also on, considering O’Connell is the only NFC North coach not to win a playoff game during his tenure. Unless the Wilfs want to make him the modern-day Marvin Lewis, that may have to change to ensure he keeps his job.
The thought of O’Connell getting fired may seem preposterous considering his success, and he survived the firing of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. But as we saw with the previous power structure, things can change quickly if he doesn’t mesh with new general manager Nolan Teasley.
A bunch of regular-season wins could put O’Connell in the good graces of Vikings fans, but until he wins a playoff game, speculation over his job security is still a valid conversation.
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