Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said after Monday night's loss to the Rams that quarterback Sam Darnold has a "special place in my heart" because of the way he played this season.

In the immediate aftermath of the Vikings’ shocking 27-9 upset loss to the Rams to close out wildcard weekend, Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell made it a point

The Vikings general manager told reporters Thursday that Darnold is among the “good options” the Vikings have at quarterback while adding that J.J. McCarthy has returned to on-field training.

O'Connell seemed to speak about Darnold with an air of finality after the team's wild-card round loss vs. the Rams.

The Minnesota Vikings had a rough exit in the 2024 NFL Playoffs, with Sam Darnold getting sacked nine times in the 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round. After a 14-3 regular season,

O'Connell, 39, lands a contract extension after guiding Vikings to 14-3 record with Sam Darnold at quarterback.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Vikings announced that they have agreed to terms on a multi-year contract extension with head coach Kevin O’Connell. The exact length of the contract extension and the average annual value were not made public.

The Minnesota Vikings didn't have the dream ending to their season that they hoped. However, the front office still has faith in head coach Kevin O'Connell.

The Minnesota Vikings will move forward with Kevin O’Connell as their head coach. The Vikings inked a multi-year extension with O’Connell after a prodigious season in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Minnesota makes the move to keep O’Connell after three terrific seasons.

T he Vikings have not waited long after the end of their season to work out an extension with Kevin O'Connell. Minnesota’s head coach has a new deal in place, the team announced