The Minnesota Vikings' Kevin O'Connell won the AP NFL Coach of the Year award Thursday night at about 10:30 p.m. ET. It only took a few minutes after that before the conversation turned to one of the NFL's top offseason storylines: His quarterback.
Speaking to a handful of Minnesota reporters by phone, O'Connell said it's clear to him that veteran Sam Darnold will be a starter somewhere in 2025 -- and that a return to the Vikings has in no way been ruled out.
"Look, you guys know how I feel about Sam," O'Connell said.