Vikings Coach Declines Interview with Los Angeles Chargers
Josh Frey
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The interview process for NFL coaches has officially begun, and the Vikings staff are no exception. Just this week, it was announced that Vikings WR coach Keenan McCardell would be in the running for the offensive coordinator position alongside Bill Belichick for the New England Patriots.
Another Vikings coach, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips, has been in the circle of potential candidates for other teams as well. However, this week, it became known that Phillips had declined an interview with the Los Angeles Chargers in favor of staying in Minnesota, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
Following Los Angeles’ Wild Card loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, during which they blew a 27-0 lead, the team fired their offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi. He had been with the team for two seasons, and in 2021 and 2022, they ranked among the top 10 in yards.
However, much of the problems throughout that playoff loss, LA’s first playoff game in Justin Herbert’s career, laid on the offensive side of the ball. They had just 140 total yards in the second half of the game and recorded just 3 points. That type of performance isn’t good enough, regardless of a lead, and Jacksonville made them pay.
Phillips’ decision to stay in Minnesota is significant for a couple of reasons. For one, if he had opted to go to Los Angeles, Phillips would have had full control of the offense. Staley is primarily a defensive coach, and he gave Lombardi full reign over the offensive scheme. The decision to stay in Minnesota rather than even interview for the LA job is an indication that Phillips has enjoyed his first year with the Vikings.
Additionally, this decision means that the main components of the Vikings offense should remain intact heading into 2023. In Wednesday’s press conference, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah suggested that the Vikings “expectation” is that Kirk Cousins will remain their QB next season. Justin Jefferson should also get an extension later in the offseason, and T.J. Hockenson will still be around. A second year for these players in the same scheme should get rid of any hiccups that may have been experienced in 2022.
Overall, this is excellent news for the Vikings as they progress into the 2023 offseason. We’ll see what happens with McCardell and the Patriots, but the offensive staff should look very similar next year in Minnesota.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.