Vikings Coach Gets Interview with Tampa Bay
Vikings WR coach Keenan McCardell has been a hot ticket item around the NFL so far in this coaching cycle. First, it was Bill Belichick calling for his former player to be his offensive coordinator. Now, the Vikings coach gets an interview with the current team of a former Belichick player, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
While Belichick opted to go with former Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien to take over the reins for his offense, this Tampa Bay position is ripe for the taking. McCardell has long been a respected coach at the NFL level, and his work with Vikings wide receivers speaks volumes.
However, McCardell’s NFL experience goes back much further than a coaching career. Back when the current Vikings WR coach was an actual NFL wide receiver, he got his career started with the Cleveland Browns. After being drafted by Washington in 1991, he missed the entire season on injured reserve and then landed in Cleveland.
During the four years McCardell spent in Cleveland from 1992-95, Belichick was his head coach, and he recorded 80 receptions, 1133 yards, and 8 TDs over the course of 80 games, including 11 starts.
Following an extremely impressive 16-year career as a player, he got his first NFL coaching gig in 2010 in Washington as their WR coach. He also had stops at the University of Maryland (where he coached Stefon Diggs) and the Jacksonville Jaguars before landing in Minnesota with the Vikings in 2021.
It’s also very well worth noting that McCardell was one of the few carryovers from the Mike Zimmer staff to Kevin O’Connell’s last offseason. That should speak volumes of his reputation within the organization and with his players. His work has helped lead to great production from Justin Jefferson as well as the emergence of K.J. Osborn.
In Tampa Bay, he may not have the luxury of coaching Tom Brady anymore, depending on what the pending free agent QB decides to do at age-45. That being said, Tampa Bay still has a number of weapons, particularly at wide receiver, that McCardell would have at his disposal. They are also in a prime position to take more playmakers with the 19th pick in the first round of the draft.
Perhaps McCardell will end up staying in Minnesota in 2023, but he has more than earned the opportunity to take an offensive coordinator job if he’s chosen for one.
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.
