A Detroit reporter misinterpreted Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell’s comments during a press conference Thursday night, sparking drama and confusion.
O’Connell won NFL Coach of the Year honors Thursday for his work this season. At his press conference, he spoke glowingly about standout wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
“Justin Jefferson is capable of accomplishing absolutely anything that he wants,” O’Connell said, “And he’s so competitive and his drive is so championship-worthy that’s what we want to try to do together, is bring Minnesota a championship, he’s going to be a huge part of it when we do it, and I feel very fortunate every day to get a chance to coach Justin Jefferson … ”
Those comments were clearly about Jefferson, the Vikings’ perennial All-Pro wide receiver. Except that’s not what Detroit Free Press reporter Dave Birkett heard. Birkett posted on X, “Kevin O’Connell in his Coach of the Year news conference: Our goal is to win a championship, and Sam Darnold is going to be a huge part of it when we do it. Sure sounds like Vikings want to ride with Darnold next year.”
That’s not at all what O’Connell said. Darnold is a free agent this offseason, and for weeks, it’s been speculated and reported almost as fact that the Vikings are ready to move on from the veteran. Those reports grew even more concrete after Darnold struggled in the Vikings’ Wild Card playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Birkett’s original post soon received a Community Note: “O’Connell was talking about Justin Jefferson, not Sam Darnold, when he said,’ He’s going to be a huge part of it when we do it. ‘Sam Darnold was not mentioned in the entire quote.”
Other reporters also called out Birkett’s X post.
It’s abundantly clear in this video that O’Connell was talking about Justin Jefferson, not Sam Darnold,” Vikings beat writer Will Ragatz posted. “I understand messing up, it happens, but it’s bizarre that the Detroit reporter’s tweet is still up — and that he’s doubled down since then. C’mon man.”
Video of O’Connell’s comments also seem to leave no doubt he was talking about Jefferson.
It’s abundantly clear in this video that O’Connell was talking about Justin Jefferson, not Sam Darnold.
I understand messing up, it happens, but it’s bizarre that the Detroit reporter’s tweet is still up — and that he’s doubled down since then. C’mon man. https://t.co/wT7YC7BYko pic.twitter.com/GKTmeSHxFD
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) February 7, 2025
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert and some Minnesota reporters spoke with O’Connell to clarify the situation.
“I don’t necessarily think that (is) 100% accurate,” O’Connell said, regarding his quotes being taken out of context. “It was in the spirit of answering a question about Sam’s season and what he was able to do this year.”
However, O’Connell did not rule out the possibility of the Vikings bringing Darnold back next season.
“Look, you guys know how I feel about Sam,” O’Connell said. “He is a guy that we identified last year as somebody who could come in and be successful. And really no matter where he was at before he arrived in his quarterback journey, it was about maximizing our time together. And I think we did that, and I think it was a very special year for Sam. And what that earned him is, everybody in our league now thinks he’s a bona fide legitimate starting quarterback and can win a lot of football games. He won 14 of them [in 2024].
“So he’s earned the right to be a free agent, but we will continue to have ongoing dialogue and discussions with him and his representation.”
As for Birkett, he’s well-respected in his profession and a four-time Michigan Sportswriter of the Year award winner. It’s not unusual for a reporter to misinterpret a player or coach’s statement. But when it’s widely pointed out to be wrong and creates a stir — and both are clearly the case here — it’s expected the reporter will delete the original post.
Birkett’s post remained live as of Friday night.
