Vikings Coach Named Offensive Coordinator for 2024 Pro Bowl Games
Josh Frey
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Keenan McCardell has been one of the most respected assistant coaches in the NFL for years.
He has been serving as the Vikings wide receiver coach for the past three seasons, and the Vikings coach was one of the few retained in the head coaching transition from Mike Zimmer to Kevin O’Connell during the 2022 offseason.
McCardell has garnered interest for offensive coordinator positions over the years, and now, he will get his first chance at that job after being named the offensive coordinator for the NFC in the upcoming Pro Bowl Games.
Vikings Coach Named OC for Pro Bowl Games
Judy Battista of NFL Network recently sat down with the Vikings coach, and he expressed his excitement for the role, saying, “”It will be good to get out in front of the best of the best of the league. Just show your skill set — can you call plays and get guys the ball? It’s fun and I understand it’s an exhibition for those guys. I understand where their attention span is. I just know as it comes down to the end of the game, those competitive spirits get firing, you’ve got to be ready to call the right stuff for them. I just want to get a chance to show I can call plays.”
Before McCardell was an NFL coach, he spent 17 seasons as an NFL receiver. He was a 12th round selection by Washington back in 1991, but he missed that entire rookie season because of injury. Afterwards, he went to Cleveland and played games for the Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Diego Chargers, and in Washington throughout his career.
In total, McCardell totaled 883 receptions for 11,373 yards and 63 TDs throughout his career and was named a Pro Bowler himself in both the 1996 and 2003 seasons. His receiving yardage total still ranks 37th all-time in the NFL.
Last offseason, McCardell was in the running for the New England Patriots offensive coordinator job before it was given to Bill O’Brien. That position would have reunited him with Bill Belichick, who was his head coach with the Browns from 1992-95.
On the other sideline, another longtime NFL receiver will be the offensive coordinator for the AFC team. That coach is Wes Welker, who played 12 NFL seasons and totaled 903 receptions for 9924 yards and 50 TDs over his career with the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, and St. Louis Rams. Welker spent the 2023 season as a wide receivers coach for the Dolphins.
The Pro Bowl flag football game is set to take place on Sunday, February 4th. Joining McCardell at the Pro Bowl Games from the Vikings roster will be OLB Danielle Hunter and LS Andrew DePaola.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.