Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell has high praise for Stephon Gilmore

The Minnesota Vikings might be a team moving a new direction during the 2024 NFL season, but that doesn't mean they won't do everything they can to be competitive on the field every week and fight toward a playoff berth.

2024 has not been kind to the Vikings so far. The tragic death of Khyree Jackson and the season-ending injury to Mekhi Blackmon have made a huge impact on the team's cornerback depth heading into this season.

Although Minnesota has some talented young players on the roster as well as some experienced cornerbacks, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is always on the hunt for more players who can help the purple and gold win games.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell has high praise for Stephon Gilmore

Last week, it was revealed that free agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore would be visiting the Minnesota Vikings for a workout on Monday. This news prompted the media to ask about the possibility of signing the 33-year-old free agent defender following the team's preseason win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

The conversation was streamed live on several social media platforms as well as Vikings.com where Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell had nothing but positive things to say about the decorated veteran cornerback.

"As far as guys we'll potentially add, we're going to be constantly trying to figure out if there's a player out there that we can add to this team that has a chance to help us win. And I've had a ton of respect for Stephon Gilmore's career playing against him. This is a guy that's done it at a really high level for a long time. So, if that's something that ends up being a possibility, I know Kwesi and his staff will get us going in the right direction."

- Kevin O'Connell via Vikings.com

It's not surprising that Minnesota's head coach has a lot of respect for Gilmore. The free agent defensive back was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and has gone on to rack up a huge list of accomplishments.

Gilmore is a five-time Pro Bowler who is a Super Bowl champion. He was named All-Pro First Team twice and was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. In 12 seasons, he played in 165 games, starting 158 of those and has 31 career interceptions to go with 561 combined tackles.

Vikings fans will want to keep an eye on social media on Monday since it would be a little surprising if Adofo-Mensah and Minnesota's front office didn't offer Gilmore some kind of contract to bring him in for the 2024 season.

Let's hope a deal can get done between the Minnesota Vikings and Stephon Gilmore to get him in a purple and gold jersey for the upcoming season. Adding him to Brian Flores' defense could be a huge boost for a team looking to make some noise this season.

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