Adam Schefter comments on Kevin O'Connell extension with details that haven't been discussed prior

Adam Schefter comments on Kevin O'Connell's contract

Things have gotten a little complicated when it comes to O'Connell's contract. There have been a lot of discussions about his contract, including Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reporting the idea of O'Connell getting traded on the final Sunday of the regular season.

O'Connell quickly debunked those reports, but they have remained a discussion point across the media. His contract has been a topic of discussion around the media, so much so that Adam Schefter appeared on the Pat McAfee Show on Friday afternoon.

"I don't see him getting traded. I think that the Wilf family is going to want to hold on to him. He's going to be entering the last year of his deal. I think teams that have coaches who they've identified as their future don't typically let guys go into the last year of their deal. And so I would imagine at some point in the coming days, weeks, whatever it may be, that the Wilf family and Kevin O'Connell sit down and figure out an extension, get one done this season. And to me, the price on Kevin O'Connell rose because of the type of year that he had and because of the type of recognition that I think everybody showered on him. They see the kind of person he is, and they see the kind of impact he's had and the culture he's created. And I think we all know how important that is for any head coach in the NFL, and he's done that there in Minnesota, and I expect that he's going to be rewarded for it this off-season."

Schefter also mentioned how much O'Connell could get, specifically mentioning numbers in the teens. Later on in the same interview, Schefter got into more details about the contract, even mentioning that O'Connell could choose not to sign the contract.

"Well, you have to figure, if the Wilf's don't step up and give him what we all would agree, in an objective way, is a fair offer, then Kevin O'Connell could say, I'm not going to sign that. And then he goes into the last year of his contract, and he's a coaching free agent next year. And if you're a coaching free agent, what would Kevin O'Connell get on the open morning? Well, first of all, we have to see how next year goes. But if he had the kind of season next year that he did this past year, my guess is Kevin O'Connell is in the 12 to $14 million year range."

The idea of O'Connell being a lame duck coach isn't one that would sit well with the Vikings, nor the fanbase. He's arguably the best young coach in the National Football League who has done wonders for the franchise over his first three years.

It's worth noting that O'Connell made it clear on Thursday in his season-ending press conference that he wanted to stay in Minnesota and that the reported tension between O'Connell and ownership is overblown.

"I do," said O'Connell about wanting an extension. "And I've had great dialog with the with our ownership this week and reflection as the season came to an end, and anything beyond that, you know, I prefer to kind of keep those discussions internal."

"What I would say is I love being the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, and with that becomes the fact that I love our ownership. I have a great relationship with our ownership. And, you know, feel so fortunate, like I said, you know, not only just the way they support us and believe in us, but also, you know, the impact they have on our players, on our locker room, and ultimately, where we all want to go together. Feel very, very great about that."

Until an extension gets done with O'Connell this will continue to be a major discussion point, just like the Justin Jefferson contract extension was last year.