EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Mike Pettine has just begun working with the Minnesota Vikings, the assistant head coach on a staff busy implementing a fresh culture and installing new schemes under the direction of first-time head coach Kevin O'Connell.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Danielle Hunter became the youngest player in NFL history to reach 50 sacks, an athletic marvel for the Minnesota Vikings who was as durable as they come in this violent sport.
About 2 1/2 years later, with his gaudy sack total stalled out from consecutive injury-wrecked seasons, Hunter has found himself in sort of a reinvention mode.
To the Super Bowl winner goes the spoils of opening the entire schedule at home.
So the Los Angeles Rams will host the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night, Sept. 8, to begin the 2022 season.
It's a juicy matchup of the team generally considered the title favorite by oddsmakers in the Bills traveling to SoFi Stadium, where the Rams won the championship over Cincinnati in February.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings declined the fifth-year option on the contract for center Garrett Bradbury on Monday, sending their 2019 first-round draft pick into the final season of his rookie deal.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — In the snap-judgment, sugar-rush environment that engulfs the made-for-TV drama of the NFL, new Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's first draft largely yielded the type of players the roster suggested would fit best.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Having addressed Buffalo’s key need at cornerback in the first round of the draft, Brandon Beane was comfortable playing a prolonged waiting game Friday night.
Much like his predecessor, new Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah showed he is not worried about moving around the draft board — even if it means dealing with division rivals.
Adofo-Mensah was again active Friday early on the second day of the NFL draft, making two trades and drafting Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth Jr.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Trading down 20 spots in the first round like the Minnesota Vikings did on Thursday night means having to watch a lot of instant-impact talent come off the board.
The move to bolster their second-day pick allotment at the expense of passing on the No.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings, at 12th overall, have their highest first-round draft pick in seven years.
After making major offseason changes to the front office and the coaching staff, they decided not to start over with the roster.
12. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (8-9)
LAST SEASON: The Vikings lost their first two games in crushing fashion to eventual playoff teams Cincinnati and Arizona and never truly recovered, not spending a single week above the .500 mark.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Former Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman Doug Sutherland, a member of the Purple People Eaters, has died. He was 73.
The team released a statement saying Sutherland died Tuesday, but did not provide a cause of death.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings agreed to terms Wednesday on a new contract with cornerback Patrick Peterson, taking another step toward stabilizing a problematic position.
The 31-year-old Peterson had a solid first season with the Vikings in 2021, by far their most reliable cornerback in pass coverage.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers cornerback Chandon Sullivan signed with the Minnesota Vikings on Friday, the latest player to switch from one NFC North rival to another.
The 25-year-old Sullivan played more than 76% of the snaps on defense last season for Green Bay, mostly in the slot position in the nickel package.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — When the Minnesota Vikings hired a new general manager and head coach, the natural expectation from outside was that major roster moves would follow.
The Vikings have, instead, kept their best and costliest players largely intact from a team that went 15-18 over the last two years.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Three years ago at the Pro Bowl, Danielle Hunter autographed a jersey and gave it to his NFC teammate, Za'Darius Smith, with an inscription that raised the possibility of a future reunion.
Former Green Bay outside linebacker Za'Darius Smith was in Minnesota on Monday for a free agent visit with the Vikings, who could use another proven pass rusher but are lacking salary cap space.
The Vikings announced the arrival of Smith, who was released by the Packers a week ago after a 2021 season that was ruined by a back injury.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen has restructured his contract to give the team salary cap relief, his agency announced on Friday, with a new deal that gives him $18 million guaranteed.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings began to pick away at their offseason to-do list as free agency formally opened on Wednesday, re-signing punter Jordan Berry and agreeing to contract terms with defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, tight end Johnny Mundt and interior offensive lineman Austin Schlottmann.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings agreed to terms Tuesday on a two-year, $12 million contract with linebacker Jordan Hicks, continuing a revamp on defense to fit a new scheme and work around the salary cap.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers moved quickly to upgrade their roster after a 5-12 season.
The Panthers have agreed to terms on a three-year $29.25 million contract with Los Angeles Rams guard Austin Corbett and a three-year, $15.75 million contract with Minnesota Vikings safety Xavier Woods, according to people familiar with the situation.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings have tendered a contract offer to restricted free agent kicker Greg Joseph, taking a step toward establishing some stability at a problematic position for the team.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (8-9)
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: CB Patrick Peterson, LB Anthony Barr, DE Everson Griffen, S Xavier Woods, DT Sheldon Richardson, TE Tyler Conklin, CB Mackensie Alexander, LB Nick Vigil, C Mason Cole, P Jordan Berry, T Rashod Hill, WR Dede Westbrook, G Dakota Dozier, QB Sean Mannion, DE Eddie Yarbrough, TE Chris Herndon, TE Luke Stocker, WR Chad Beebe, RB Wayne Gallman, DE Tashawn Bower.
The Minnesota Vikings have committed to quarterback Kirk Cousins for the next two seasons, banking on further improvement under new head coach Kevin O'Connell.
The Vikings announced their agreement in principle with Cousins on a one-year contract extension Sunday — the latest high-leverage deal that Cousins has successfully bet on himself with and the clearest sign yet that the Vikings aren't interested in a teardown under new management.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said Tuesday that the door is closed on his potential return to the NFL.
Harbaugh said he took a look at possibly coaching the Minnesota Vikings — interviewing with them last month on signing day — to find out if he wanted to be back in the league after seven seasons with the Wolverines.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Malik Willis has quickly become the darling of the 2022 NFL scouting combine, turning heads with his impressive showing both on and off the field.
He showed off an exceptionally strong arm on deep throws and pinpoint accuracy on intermediate passes during the quarterbacks' prime-time workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium on Thursday night.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — New Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah worked eight years on Wall Street, in between economics degrees from Princeton and Stanford.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Wes Phillips will follow Kevin O'Connell to Minnesota from the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams and serve as offensive coordinator for the Vikings.
Phillips was one of five more assistants for O'Connell's staff finalized by the team on Monday, along with special teams coordinator Matt Daniels, defensive backs coach Daronte Jones, assistant special teams coach Ben Kotwica and outside linebackers coach and pass rush specialist Mike Smith.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Kevin O'Connell has finally arrived in Minnesota with his young family, a new parka and plenty of energy and ideas about leading the Vikings.
O'Connell's strategy for success as a first-time head coach, honed with and borrowed from the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams, starts and ends with making his players feel not only comfortable with the team but connected to each other and to their coaches.
Michigan has once again made Jim Harbaugh one of the highest paid coaches in college football.
Harbaugh's reworked five-year contract with the school, obtained Thursday through a records request, runs through the 2026 season and guarantees he will make more than $7 million annually.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings finalized their hiring of head coach Kevin O'Connell on Wednesday, completing a sharp offseason shift in direction by turning over the team to the 36-year-old offensive coordinator of the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Ed Donatell has agreed to become the defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings under head-coach-to-be Kevin O'Connell, according to a person with knowledge of the decision.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Thursday because the Vikings have not yet announced the hire.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Justin Jefferson is excited the Minnesota Vikings are getting an offensive-minded head coach.
The team is expected to hire Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell after the Super Bowl.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The New York Giants have hired a Black assistant general manager less than a week after fired Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores sued the team, two other franchises and the NFL for alleged racist hiring practices.
The Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals got to the Super Bowl with help from a couple of coaching decisions by their conference title game opponents that backfired.
If the Super Bowl comes down to a crucial fourth-down choice by Rams coach Sean McVay or Bengals counterpart Zac Taylor, history shows the may opt for the conservative path.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kevin O'Connell realizes there are going to be plenty of questions about his next steps after the Super Bowl. The Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator prefers to keep the focus on the immediate task at hand.
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears hired Minnesota Vikings assistant Andrew Janocko as their quarterbacks coach on Thursday.
Janocko joins new coach Matt Eberflus' staff after spending the past seven years in a variety of roles under Mike Zimmer in Minnesota, most recently as the Vikings quarterbacks coach this past season.
Jim Harbaugh will stay at Michigan after all, ending his dalliance with a return to the NFL after interviewing with the Minnesota Vikings for their head coach vacancy Wednesday.
The Vikings have targeted Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell for the job instead, though they can't formally make that move until after Rams play in the Super Bowl.
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears hired Alan Williams as defensive coordinator under new coach Matt Eberflus on Wednesday.
Williams spent the past four seasons as the Colts' safeties coach while Eberflus was their defensive coordinator.
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Ken Stabler directed an Oakland attack that set a Super Bowl offensive record, keyed by Clarence Davis' 137 yards rushing, as the Raiders destroyed the Minnesota Vikings 32-14 Sunday.
When coach John Madden's Oakland Raiders arrived at the Rose Bowl for the Super Bowl in 1977, the toughest part of the job was already done.
After years of falling short of the title game with crushing playoff losses to rivals like Miami and Pittsburgh, the Raiders made easy work of the Minnesota Vikings in a 32-14 victory Jan.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings conducted their second interview with New York Giants coordinator Patrick Graham on Tuesday, leaving one more head coach candidate to visit with: Jim Harbaugh.