Over the years, Kevin O’Connell has earned the nickname “Quarterback Whisperer” for his work as an offensive coordinator and, later, as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. However, since Minnesota parted ways with Sam Darnold, O’Connell has struggled to find stability at quarterback, with injuries making things even more difficult.
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In one way or another, that has also affected the team’s offense, especially the receiving production, and according to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Justin Jefferson is at the center of it. Following the Vikings’ 23-6 Week 9 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Smith called out O’Connell for derailing Jefferson’s season and urged the star receiver to demand a trade from Minnesota.
“It’s awful,” said Smith on First Take. “It’s really awful, and I’m gonna say this: Justin Jefferson, this man should be as shit has to be traded. If you’re Kevin O’Connell, I want you to look at me right now while I’m talking to Kevin O’Connell, the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings; you’re lucky Justin Jefferson even talks to you. Seriously. Because what he has done to this man’s career, I’m holding him responsible. I’m holding ownership responsible. I’m holding a former GM responsible because this cost him this job. I’m holding him responsible as well.”
Smith mentioned Jefferson’s name in the same list that featured the league’s best all-time receivers, including Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens, and Randy Moss. But at the same time, he blamed O’Connell for failing Jefferson amid the quarterback carousel in Minnesota.
For broader context, Coach O’Connell led the Vikings 14-3 in the 2024 season with Sam Darnold under center. With Darnold running the offense, Jefferson caught 103 receptions for 1533 yards and 10 touchdowns. A year later, however, Minnesota parted ways with Darnold and started the season with JJ McCarthy under center, with Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer on the depth chart.
Amid multiple injuries in the quarterback room, including McCarthy missing several games, Jefferson’s numbers dropped to 84 receptions for 1,048 yards and just a pair of touchdowns as Minnesota failed to make the playoffs. In the 2026 season, meanwhile, Justin Jefferson has already moved past Randy Moss for the second-most receptions in Vikings history when he caught his 588th pass in Week 2.
However, the receiver is playing through the 2026 season amid another unstable quarterback situation. Minnesota started the season with Kyler Murray as the starting quarterback. However, Murray went down with an injury in the team’s season opener and missed multiple games. While the Vikings still had a 6-0 start to the season, the offensive struggles were evident.
Through the first eight games of the season, the Vikings ranked 27th in the league in scoring, averaging just 18.3 points per game. The defense, meanwhile, currently leads the league, as the unit has allowed just 14.5 points per game. That makes Smith’s frustration considerably easier to understand. Minnesota is sitting at 6-2 largely because its defense has been excellent, while its offense is putting enormous pressure on that unit.
“We all notice they have no help whatsoever offensively, and why am I looking at Kevin O’Connell? Because you’re the offensive coordinator that became a head coach,” added Smith. “…As a head coach, I expect your offense to be elite. That’s why you’re there. We’re talking about Kevin O’Connell, the quarterback whisperer. Evidently, they don’t even hear you when you whisper it, because they can’t get a damn thing done for you. This is horrible.”
Against the Bills as well, the struggles were obvious. The Vikings tallied just 178 net yards, including 127 through the air and 51 on the ground. Carson Wentz struggled tremendously, as he completed 8 of 25 passes for just 81 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions, while taking a sack.
Minnesota failed to score a point till late in the second quarter and finished the game with just a pair of field goals. At the same time, the offense was o/8 on third downs and possessed the ball for just 17:28 minutes. Justin Jefferson, meanwhile, caught 3 passes for 58 yards on 11 targets.
Stephen A. Smith, however, felt bad for the receiver after watching the Vikings’ poor performance and urged him to demand a trade.
“I looked at Justin Jefferson last night, and I felt so bad for him,” Smith added. “What are you supposed to do, fellas when you’re supposed to get open? All right, and some people don’t sit up there and say, ‘Well, you know what? He ain’t getting open enough.’ Remember this word: look it up in a dictionary if you don’t know it: Demoralization.
“It will compromise effort every time you are mentally fatigued, when you are worn out, when you are of the belief, you know what, it don’t matter. These brothers can’t do it. I’m out here wasting my energy when that kicks in; it will take a little luster off your shine. That is what has happened to Justin Jefferson. As far as I’m concerned, the Minnesota Vikings have thrown him under the bus with what they have given him to work with. And if I were him, I would ask to be traded from the Minnesota Vikings.”
With Jefferson still in his prime, the Vikings cannot afford to let another season of quarterback instability waste his elite talent. Smith’s trade suggestion may be extreme, but Minnesota’s offensive struggles have made one thing clear: fixing the quarterback situation has to be a priority if the Vikings want to get the best out of their star receiver.