Solving Kevin O’Connell’s (Barely) Coded Clue
No need to get Sherlock Holmes on the case, folks. The clue from Kevin O’Connell is meant to be solvable, one that’s easy to decode.
Essentially, the head coach is looking to avoid getting too far over his skis when it comes to naming starters. We are, after all, still in May. Plenty of things around the Vikings — and the NFL more broadly — are going to change in the coming months. Nevertheless, O’Connell has gone back to a specific way of phrasing things to lead onlookers in the right direction for where things are trending.
Cracking the Kevin O’Connell Code
Ryan Kelly is the key to opening this lock.
The veteran center was a 1st-Round selection back in 2016. He has since started 121 games in the NFL, working with a stunning thirteen quarterbacks along the way. In this time, there have been four trips to the Pro Bowl and a spot on the All Pro squad (second team). He’s very intelligent, tough, and is a good leader. He’s working under a two-year contract that’s coming in at $18 million.
Without any question, Ryan Kelly is the starting center. Only injury would disrupt that basic reality. Whoever gets to work alongside him is therefore a starter, as well (the powers of deduction!).
First up, one thinks of J.J. McCarthy, the clear leader in the race to be Minnesota’s starting quarterback. The issue? He hasn’t been given the crown, at least not yet.
What Kevin O’Connell has done, however, is clarify that Mr. McCarthy is taking snaps from Mr. Kelly. The takeaway is pretty simple and straightforward. Ryan Kelly is a locked-in starter, a guarantee to get onto the field for the opening snap of Week 1 as long as health cooperates. The simple fact that McCarthy is taking snaps from Kelly is confirmation that the young passer is being looked at as the QB1.
Consider another example: Donovan Jackson getting to pickup some work alongside Kelly.
Blink and you’d miss it. Kevin O’Connell provided the update while talking about the offensive line more broadly, casually explaining that Mr. Jackson has been earning some work alongside Mr. Kelly: “Love to have all five of those guys out there, but Donovan [Jackson] got some great work in there today next to Ryan Kelly.”
Again, there’s that basic truth that shines through: getting to play alongside Ryan Kelly means getting to play from within the starting lineup. Why doesn’t Kevin O’Connell just acknowledge what’s obvious and name the young fellas as starters?
There’s very little reason for a team’s head coach to get ahead of himself at this stage of the offseason. Naming McCarthy as the QB1 and/or Jackson as the LG1 possesses downside, not upside. The outcome doesn’t appear particularly likely, but one (or both) could majorly struggle in the offseason. If that occurs, then someone else could get tasked with starting early. Refusing to name the young guys as starters avoids the potentially awkward scenario of then needing to publicly get into why they’re being demoted.
O’Connell, wisely, is choosing a different route. Talk about McCarthy and Jackson in a positive, upbeat manner. Build them up in the media and praise the youngsters for their potential, maturity, leadership, and hard work. Do so without giving away a starting position, instead leaning on (barely) coded language to tamp down any controversy without firmly committing to either as an undisputed top option at their respective position.
In short, play a bit of chess when talking publicly, thinking a few steps ahead to guard against a poor outcome.
When Minnesota’s regular season begins, Ryan Kelly will start at center on Monday Night Football. The likeliest outcome involves seeing Donovan Jackson immediately to Kelly’s left as J.J. McCarthy takes the snaps.
Kevin O’Connell’s quick quips about these players getting reps alongside Kelly confirm as much.
Editor’s Note: Information from Over the Cap helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and Bluesky (@VikingsGazette). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.
