Kevin O’Connell‘s abilities made him a standout in the NFL as a highly effective quarterback coach. Yet now, with the Minnesota Vikings trying to juggle competing for championships and developing a young quarterback, the tension is clear.

As ESPN’s Kevin Seifert observed, “The Vikings’ two goals are competing for championships and developing a young quarterback, which is cannibalizing each other.”

Kevin O’Connell built a coaching reputation first as a play-caller, then as a head coach because of his influence on signal-callers. However, his relationship with J.J. McCarthy appears to be waning in 2025. What was effective in the past is no longer successful.

Before taking over as the Vikings’ head coach in 2022, O’Connell cemented his reputation as a quarterback-focused play-caller, most notably as the Rams’ offensive coordinator, where he helped Matthew Stafford to a Super Bowl and a 2021 campaign that produced a 102.9 passer rating. He’d earlier coached quarterbacks in Washington and later reunited with Kirk Cousins in Minnesota, shaping late-game comebacks and a passer-friendly attack that fueled Justin Jefferson’s 1,809-yard season. Other than that, Darnold’s production in 2024 has also been crucial as evidence of O’Connell’s ability to get more from his quarterbacks.

O’Connell’s strength has always been to trust and empower his quarterbacks. His playbook is creative, and he gives his QBs the freedom to make plays by leaning on their instincts. Fast forward to 2025, and that same coaching strength hasn’t translated to McCarthy. Despite O’Connell’s elite play-calling and offensive mindset, McCarthy’s performance this season has been unstable.

“He’s wildly capable of making the throws that present themselves. There are some plays where he is making it hard on himself,” Kevin O’Connell said of his assessment of McCarthy. “I think that’s probably the most frustrating part for him.”

Across his first five starts, McCarthy’s accuracy issues have become alarmingly consistent. McCarthy has completed just 52.9% of his passes so far, tallying 842 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. 

Cris Carter publicly questioned McCarthy’s fundamentals and processing, saying,

“The game will either slow down, or J.J. McCarthy won’t be that good,” and criticizing his missed reads and throws.

The spotlight on McCarthy’s issues grew sharper in the weeks that followed, especially among his own pass-catchers.

Beyond the Kevin O’Connell dilemma, McCarthy’s miscues have been spilling into the Vikings’ WR room

J.J. McCarthy’s mistakes have started to weigh heavily on the Vikings’ wide receivers, and Week 11’s 19-17 loss against the Chicago Bears highlighted the growing frustration. 

“WR Justin Jefferson is losing patience. QB play has been rough,” Ari Meirov reported on X.

After another stalled drive, Jefferson slammed his helmet on the sideline. The breaking point came on a crucial third-and-7 when McCarthy overthrew him on a simple route: the kind Kevin O’Connell calls “pitch and catch.”

“You definitely have to have patience,” Jefferson told the Athletic. “He’s pretty much a rookie.”

McCarthy’s off-target rate was 32% at that point in the game. He missed Jefferson on routine throws, forcing the receiver to adjust on nearly every target. Jefferson converted under 60% of his targets into receptions three times in five games with McCarthy at quarterback, well below his career catch rate of 67%. He finished with five receptions on nine targets for 61 yards.

“We’re going to go back to work and continue to find every avenue, every way to try to help build the consistency to his mechanics,” Kevin O’Connell said.

McCarthy’s timing disrupted Jefferson’s rhythm and limited the Vikings’ ability to stretch the field. His errors need to stabilize, or the Vikings’ season will continue to slide.