Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell made history Thursday night by winning the 2024 Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year award, becoming only the second Vikings coach ever to earn the honor—joining Bud Grant (1969)—after leading the team to a 14-3 record, far surpassing their preseason 6.5-win projection. The accolade, announced during the NFL Honors ceremony in New Orleans, was overshadowed by post-event drama stemming from a press conference that wasn’t streamed and lacked local media presence. Detroit Lions reporter Dave Birkett of the *Detroit Free Press* claimed O’Connell declared during the presser that quarterback Sam Darnold would be “a huge part” of the Vikings’ championship aspirations, sparking viral speculation given Darnold’s uncertain future in Minnesota. While respected Vikings reporters like ESPN’s Kevin Seifert and the *Star Tribune*’s Ben Goessling amplified the report, skepticism arose due to O’Connell’s typically guarded media approach.
Birkett doubled down amid backlash, insisting, “WTF? Yeah, he actually said that.” However, when footage of the press conference finally surfaced Friday, O’Connell’s comments about Darnold were far less definitive. He praised the 27-year-old quarterback’s growth and called it “an honor” to be part of his journey but avoided any explicit commitment to Darnold’s role in the team’s Super Bowl plans. The discrepancy left fans and analysts puzzled, with Birkett’s initial claim appearing exaggerated or misinterpreted. The incident underscores the chaos of NFL offseason narratives—and the risks of relying on secondhand reports without direct evidence.
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