JJ McCarthy shared a great post on social media Sunday after his Minnesota Vikings secured a big win.
The Vikings beat the Seahawks in Seattle 27-24 to improve to 13-2, which keeps them tied with the Detroit Lions for the best record in the NFC. The Vikings have had this type of success despite their first-round pick McCarthy being out for the season, and despite having a “bridge quarterback” in Sam Darnold.
All of Minnesota’s success points to their head coach Kevin O’Connell being a leading contender for NFL Coach of the Year. McCarthy certainly thinks O’Connell is worthy of the award.
“What’s the requirements for this Coach of The Year thing again? Asking for a friend,” McCarthy wrote on X Sunday.
What’s the requirements for this Coach of The Year thing again? Asking for a friend
— J.J. McCarthy (@jjmccarthy09) December 23, 2024
That’s a nice way of sucking up to your boss if you’re McCarthy, but it’s hard to argue with him.
There are plenty of coaches who have had success this season and deserve recognition. The list includes Andy Reid, Dan Campbell, Nick Sirianni, Dan Quinn, Mike Tomlin, Sean Payton and Sean McDermott among others. But when it comes to teams exceeding expectations, the Vikings would be at the top of the list, and much of that is probably due to O’Connell, which would make him very deserving of the award.
McCarthy’s status for 2025 is also interesting. The Vikings drafted him to be their franchise quarterback, but it’s hard to dismiss what Darnold has done for them this season.
