Since 2023, the Minnesota Vikings have shuffled through nine starting quarterbacks, with Kyler Murray being the ninth one under head coach Kevin O’Connell. Although the team stands undefeated with six wins this season, the debate around QB stability hasn’t left Minnesota. Attention has now turned toward the head coach as a potential source of that uncertainty, with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith pointing out that O’Connell shares the blame.

Speaking on First Take, Stephen A. Smith said, “I am not going to refrain from bringing this up about Kevin O’Connell. Let’s be very, very clear. Kevin O’Connell may be a big-time coach in the National Football League because he’s widely respected. Quarterback whisperer, and all of this other stuff. He’s lucky he’s got a damn job. Mensah, the GM, was fired after last season.”

The ESPN analyst questioned why Kevin O’Connell has escaped the criticism directed at Minnesota’s GM, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who was fired after the 2025 season. Smith argued that the head coach played an equal role in the decisions that brought the Vikings to this point.

According to him, observing Minnesota’s continuing quarterback uncertainty, O’Connell’s ability to identify, develop, and maximize the players entrusted to him should be examined. The franchise still has to find a reliable player at its most important position.

“You had Sam Darnold there. You had J.J. McCarthy there. Now you’ve got Kyler Murray there, and we’re still saying quarterback, quarterback, quarterback is the issue…The reason we’re talking about that is because they haven’t secured the quarterback position. He has something to do with that. He ain’t an innocent Abe in all of this,” Smith added.

While the head coach has been appreciated for his offensive approach, Smith believes those credentials should not overlook his decisions and their consequences. Smith’s perspective becomes reasonable given the decisions after Sam Darnold’s exit.

In 2024, Darnold threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns, leading the Vikings to a 14-3 record. He signed with the Seattle Seahawks after the Vikings chose to move on with J.J. McCarthy. However, it did not work out as expected with McCarthy.

After missing an entire rookie season because of his knee injury, McCarthy started 10 games in 2025, throwing 11 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. Minnesota went 6-4 in those starts, but injuries and inconsistent performances make things difficult for the team’s evaluation of its young quarterback.

Minnesota then bought Kyler Murray on a one-year contract in March 2026. O’Connell named him the starting quarterback in August after an offseason competition with McCarthy. The Vikings then traded McCarthy to the New York Giants in September, making another major move in their quarterback plans.

Smith suggested one solution to strengthen the running game by pursuing Indianapolis Colts star Jonathan Taylor. A productive ground attack can take pressure off Murray, force the defenses to respect the run, and create more favorable chances in the passing game.

“You have a question about your quarterback spot. So basically, since you can’t go out there and just find a quarterback, what you can do is insulate them by making sure that you have an elite running game, a bona fide threat, which, by the way, could free up Kyler Murray to do some more things. So we got to look at it from that standpoint.”

But adding another weapon will not solve the problem. A strong offense around can make life easier for the quarterback, but the Vikings will still need consistent production from the position itself.

O’Connell’s role in shaping the offense and evaluating the quarterbacks makes him an obvious part of the discussion, and he must also answer for the team’s inability to maintain stability under center.

At the end, if Minnesota continues searching for answers at quarterback, the head coach cannot expect his reputation as a quarterback whisperer to protect him from criticism.