The fear for any head coach or general manager is for their player, of any level, to injure themselves in the offseason. It isn’t common for them to be so vocal about that fear, which makes Kevin O’Connell’s latest comments both refreshing and honest.
Two things we don’t see a lot anymore in the NFL or any professional sports leagues when it comes from teams vocalizing concerns. In a piece recently collected by Marc Raimondi of ESPN, the Vikings head coach opened up about those concerns.
“I think you have to [talk about it], just because there’s been some examples of guys maybe getting an injury, and sometimes it’s taking part in one of those reckless activities. Sometimes it’s not. But that whole non-football injury world, that NFI world, it’s the last thing you want to see as a coach because you know how impactful this game is already on guys’ bodies.”
We have seen many players be more active during their offseasons, especially since COVID-19 in 2020. Players get involved in events such as Wrestlemania and also with their own personal events and activities.
The Vikings have been lucky to avoid major issues during offseasons lately. This coaching staff, led by O’Connell, seems vocal enough that players are aware of the risks that present themselves away from football.