Minnesota Vikings

New Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters Thursday that the team will build its offense for Kirk Cousins amid trade rumors about the veteran quarterback. 

"I know he's under contract and I'm excited to coach him," O'Connell said. "We've already started thinking about how we're going to build our system for him. ... I'm anticipating Kirk being a part of what we're going to do."

Cousins' future with the franchise has been put into question because the Vikings are $14.73 million over the salary cap, per Spotrac. The veteran has a cap hit of $45 million, and restructuring or extending his contract would allow the franchise to get some cap relief. 

O'Connell's comments come after ESPN's Courtney Cronin reported Thursday that she would "not be surprised to see Cousins' camp try to force the Vikings' hand by not wanting to go back to the negotiating table just yet. That means he'd play out his expensive contract or force the team to trade him." 

However, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport (h/t Sports Illustrated's Madison Williams) reported Thursday that Cousins was expected to remain in Minnesota for the 2022 season. 

“It seems that the hire of Kevin O'Connell was very good news for Kirk Cousins. They have a familiarity. They were actually together in Washington. Kevin O'Connell has spent a bunch of time with Kyle Shanahan, knows the system, obviously has been with [Sean] McVay. So much of what Kirk Cousins did, especially in the beginning of his career, was thanks in part to Kyle Shanahan. There‘s some shared mindset there with O'Connell and with Shanahan.”

Cousins joined the Vikings ahead of the 2018 season after a six-year career in Washington. He has been solid over his four seasons in Minnesota, too, throwing for more than 4,000 yards and at least 30 touchdowns in three of his four years. 

During the 2021 season, the 33-year-old completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 4,221 yards, 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions. It was his second straight season with more than 4,000 passing yards and 30 touchdowns. 

However, the Vikings have made the playoffs in just one of Cousins' four seasons. During the 2019 campaign, Minnesota reached the NFC Divisional Round, but lost to the San Francisco 49ers.

The team's struggles shouldn't solely be placed on Cousins, though, and if the franchise can work a little cap magic this offseason, the Vikings could be in good position to compete for a playoff spot in 2022. 

As the Minnesota Vikings prepare for a fresh start in 2022 with new head coach Kevin O'Connell, Kirk Cousins' contract status is reportedly going to be a topic of discussion for the organization this offseason. 

According to ESPN's Courtney Cronin, Cousins' camp is considering forcing Minnesota's hand "by not wanting to go back to the negotiating table just yet," leading him to either "play out his expensive contract or force the team to trade him."

Minnesota is in a tricky spot with the salary cap heading into the offseason as new general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah looks to upgrade the roster. 

The Vikings are currently $14.73 million over the cap, per Spotrac. Extending or restructuring Cousins' deal would be the easiest way to open up money. His $45 million cap hit is the third-highest among all quarterbacks, behind Matt Ryan ($48.7 million) and Aaron Rodgers ($46.7 million). 

Minnesota previously restructured Cousins' deal in March 2020 when he signed a two-year extension worth $66 million that runs through the 2022 season. The contract cleared $10 million in cap space for the Vikings to use the franchise tag on safety Anthony Harris. 

Cousins' individual performance over the past four seasons in Minnesota has been quite good. The three-time Pro Bowler averages 4,097 passing yards, 31 touchdowns and has completed 68.3 percent of his attempts since the start of 2018. 

However, the Vikings have struggled to be playoff contenders during this span. Their lone postseason appearance came in 2019 when they upset the New Orleans Saints in the wild-card game before losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round. 

Minnesota has gone 15-18 over the past two seasons combined. It's the first time since 2013-14 the franchise has posted losing records in back-to-back years.

As an offensive coordinator, Kevin O'Connell played a part in the Los Angeles Rams' successful Super Bowl run with Matthew Stafford, who needed to find the right situation after 12 years with the Detroit Lions. Now, as the Minnesota Vikings head coach, O'Connell can improve the circumstances around Kirk Cousins, a polarizing player within the fanbase.

As a talent, Cousins doesn't compare to Stafford, who is more athletic with a stronger arm, but O'Connell may see similarities in their potential to carry an offense, which likely attracted him to the job in Minnesota.

For all the talk about Cousins' inability to win in prime time, he is a high-volume passer who can lead his team into the end zone. The 33-year-old has ranked in the top 10 in passer rating in each of the past four seasons and in the top 10 in passing yards as well as passing touchdowns in 2020 and 2021.

O'Connell will take over an offense with a consistent 4,000-yard passer, a budding star wide receiver in Justin Jefferson (1,400 or more yards in each of his first two seasons), a two-time Pro Bowl wideout in Adam Thielen and arguably a top-five running back in Dalvin Cook.

That sounds like a good situation, and O'Connell has a "firm belief" in Cousins, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler tweeted:

Soon-to-be Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell conveyed a firm belief in Kirk Cousins during the interview process, I'm told. He's high on him. The front office must decide on Cousins' future due to his $45M cap hit, but many coaches interviewing for job liked Cousins, O'Connell included

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 7, 2022

O'Connell worked with Cousins when he coached quarterbacks as part of Jay Gruden's staff in Washington in 2017. The following year, Cousins signed a fully guaranteed three-year, $84 million contract with Minnesota.

Though the two only crossed paths for a season, the respect seems mutual. Cousins told NFL Network that O'Connell is ready to take the leap to head coach like some of the most brilliant young minds in today's game (via Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith):

"With Kevin I see a lot of the similarities that I saw with Kyle Shanahan, Matt LaFleur, Sean McVay. When they were hired as head coaches you knew they had great football minds, they were innovative, hard workers, good with people. The only real question was, they're young. Do they have the experience? I think time has proven with Kyle, Matt and Sean that they knew what they were doing and they were able to learn quickly and being a head coach wasn't too big for them. So I feel a similar sense with Kevin."

After two years with McVay in Los Angeles, O'Connell could modernize the Minnesota offense. Following an eight-year run with a defensive-minded head coach in Mike Zimmer—who worked with offensive play-callers Kevin Stefanski and Gary Kubiak to field a run-heavy attack in two of past three years—the Vikings need a breath of fresh air on that side of the ball, which may benefit Cousins.

In 2021, the Vikings had a balanced offense, and Cousins earned his third Pro Bowl nod, throwing for 4,221 yards and 33 touchdowns with just seven interceptions.

O'Connell doesn't have to see Stafford in Cousins to think he can win with this team. The Vikings should be a playoff squad, and they don't need to look elsewhere for a quarterback.

While new general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will likely restructure Cousins' contract, which carries a $45 million salary-cap hit in 2022, he doesn't need to take an unnecessary risk by going after Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, who has Minnesota on his list of preferred destinations, according to Fowler.

Watson is the subject of 22 civil lawsuits and 10 criminal complaints by women alleging sexual assault and misconduct, and the league could suspend him under its personal conduct policy.

With the new regime taking shape, The Athletic's Chad Graff has moved away from the idea that the Vikings will trade Cousins.

"I now think it's more likely than not that Cousins stays with the Vikings," Graff wrote. "After the season ended, I guessed there was around a 60 percent chance that Cousins was traded. Now, with Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and O'Connell in place, I'd estimate there's around a 25 percent chance Cousins is traded."

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero took a stronger stance on Cousins' future:

The Super Bowl LVI @NFLGameDay Notebook with @MikeGarafolo and @TomPelissero: The #Bengals and Zac Taylor will work out a contract extension after today; The #Vikings will hire Kevin O'Connell & keep QB Kirk Cousins; The #49ers will try to trade Jimmy Garoppolo in the next month. pic.twitter.com/RndlQQYYk6

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 13, 2022

If O'Connell's defensive staff, which includes coordinator Ed Donatell and senior assistant Mike Pettine, per Pelissero, can improve a unit that ranked 24th and 29th in points allowed over the past two seasons, Cousins can lead the balanced roster back to the postseason. Minnesota has viable playmakers on the other side of the ball such as 2019 All-Pro linebacker Eric Kendricks, two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Danielle Hunter (when healthy) and six-time Pro Bowl safety Harrison Smith.

With Cousins' playmakers and four recent first- and second-round picks across the offensive line—Christian Darrisaw, Ezra Cleveland, Garrett Bradbury and Brian O'Neill—he has all the tools to perform at a high level.

Unlike Stafford, who came from a franchise with a losing culture, Cousins plays with a team that's hovered around .500 or finished with double-digit wins in his four years.

While several NFC clubs have unproven quarterbacks or otherwise need answers at the position, O'Connell enters the scene in Minnesota with a proven commodity. He doesn't need to disrupt such stability for the sake of change. With a renewed vision for the club, the 36-year-old could be the next young head coach to turn a talented roster into a perennial playoff contender.

    

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.

The last remaining head coach opening in the NFL has been filled. 

The Minnesota Vikings announced Wednesday that Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell has been hired as the 10th head coach in franchise history. 

O'Connell and the Rams are coming off a victory in Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. The Vikings were unable to officially announce that they were hiring O'Connell until after Los Angeles' playoff run came to an end.

A former NFL quarterback who was a career backup, O'Connell has been the Rams' offensive coordinator for the past two seasons. He also held the same position for Washington in 2019 after serving as the team's passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

O'Connell is the latest in Sean McVay's coaching tree to land a head coaching job, following the likes of Matt LaFleur with the Green Bay Packers and Zac Taylor with the Bengals. He's McVay's second coordinator in two years to move on, joining former Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, who is now head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that the Vikings plan on interviewing Rams assistant head coach/running backs coach Thomas Brown for their offensive coordinator position under O'Connell. Pelissero noted that Brown, who interviewed for the Miami Dolphins head coaching position, is considered a "rising assistant" and is a candidate to replace O'Connell in Los Angeles.

It's unclear where Adrian Peterson will play in 2022. But if one thing's for sure, it's that he's had a lasting impact on the game of football. 

The legendary running back spent the 2021 season split between the Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks. In four games (three with Tennessee, one with Seattle), Peterson rushed for 98 yards and two touchdowns on 38 carries. He also caught four passes for eight yards. 

Despite an underwhelming 2021 season, Peterson has long been considered one of the best running backs in the NFL. He spent the 2020 season with the Detroit Lions, rushing for 604 yards and seven touchdowns. 

Before that, he spent two seasons with the then-Washington Football Team from 2018-19, rushing for 1,940 yards and 12 touchdowns in 31 games. He also spent time with the Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints, but he is mostly known for his career as a Minnesota Viking. 

In 10 seasons with the Vikings from 2007-16, Peterson rushed for 11,747 yards and 97 touchdowns across 123 games. During his time in Minnesota, he was named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2007, MVP in 2012, was a four-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler. 

Peterson also ranks fifth in career rushing yards (14,918) behind Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, Frank Gore and Barry Sanders. He also ranks second on the NFL's single-season rushing yards list behind Eric Dickerson (2,105 yards) with 2,097 yards. 

Speaking of Dickerson, Peterson sat down with B/R for an AMA session and talked about several topics, including nearly breaking Dickerson's single-season record, his career with the Vikings and more. 

The following is the full transcript from the AMA session.

---

@ClevelandChad: When did religion become a big part of who you are? Was it always engraved? 

Yeah it was something that was always engraved in me from a child. Just understanding at a young age that I was able to understand that there’s nothing you can’t do without having Christ in your life. He’s the source of everything. Growing up and being in the church and having my family and that background, it’s amazing how having that face has changed my life and in football. Having that faith and believing that you can do all things through Christ. You gotta believe that, you gotta understand that it’s a higher power that’s in control and dependent on him that allows you to overcome those situations. To overcome the ACL injury and have the best season of your career, and perform at an outstanding level, God used me as a vessel to say hey, this is what you can do when you have faith. Faith is really important.

---

@DodgViks15: What was your favorite part about being a Viking?

The history behind the Vikings. The great players, you know. Culpepper, Randy Moss, the defensive guys, the Purple People Eaters, John Randle, Fran Tarkenton. There’s so many people there, a great history. I’ve always loved those colors, you know purple and gold that's always been a god-like color to me, You know, royal purple.

The people I met throughout the process, I met some great people throughout the organization, people that support me throughout my career and those relationships. That’s the kind of thing that you carry with you.

---

@FitchKarma66: What was the best offense you had the chance to be a part of? 2009 (brett favre, sidney rice, percy harvin))? 2015 (teddy, diggs rudolph)? Another year? 

It was definitely the 2009 season. We had some talent on that team. Bernard Berrian, Percy, Harvin, Sidney Rice, Chester Taylor, Brett Favre? Come on. We had a good team and we were stacked offensively as well. We were stacked offensively and defensively too. Antoine Winfield, one of the best corners I’ve probably ever played with. We had some dogs on defense and offense so I definitely gotta go with that year.

---

@CVikings182: What was your mindset after the ACL tear? What do you think was the biggest factor that helped you get back to MVP status so fast?

How fast I had to reset my mind. I remember being in the locker room and thinking I have to come back better than before. 

You know, what can you do about it. It is what it is,. I immediately got my mind right. Ultimately, I can do all things through Christ. Let me get my plan together and execute it. I made it known, my point, this is what I had to accomplish.

It was hard, hard, hard. But when I look back on it, before I ran out that tunnel before that first game, all that hard work was worth it.

---

@Salah11: How long did it take to get over being 8-9 yards short of Eric’s rushing record? 

I wasn’t even thinking about the record, We needed to win that game to get to the playoffs. Don’t get me wrong, I knew I needed at least 200 yards to get that record, which was a lot. 

I remember doing an interview after the game, and she was like ‘oh wow, you were like 7 yards short?’ And I said so what? And she said ‘for the record’ and I was like oh. I would’ve rather been 40 yards short. 7 yards short like a first down? I was like oooh

My mindset? I came off an ACL injury and ended up 7 yards short. That record was broke already. In my mind I already had it. The injury I sustained, in my mind I had it.

---

@Rhettro: What was going through your head when you broke the record for most rushing yards in a game vs. SD Chargers? Was it just a ‘I need the ball. Get out of my way mentality’? 

I was just trying to win the game. That first half was terrible. We only had 40 yards on the ground, and 250 came in the second half. I just remembered telling the guys: ‘hey keep pressing, keep pressing. I think in the first half I pressed too much a couple times and it was a missed opportunity. So, I was just trying to make up for the first half. I didn’t know it was going to be 296 but I’ll take it.

---

@CJShoe: Is there a single team over the course of your career that whenever you played them you just felt like you were going to dominate? 

Green Bay. Chicago. Arizona too. I don’t know what it is about Arizona, I feel like a lot of us had success against them. I feel like teams with good defenses I kind of thrived, I loved the challenge of facing against a good opponent

---

@JTH44: If you could hire one lead blocker from your career as a bodyguard, who are we going with?

I’d probably say Jim Kleinsasser.

---

@LotusRonin: The guy that gave you the hardest hit in your career was ___

Probably Shaun Rodgers. I had broke outside and I was trying to cut back. He hit me so hard. I got up quick, but I was taken back. Aside from that one, Troy Polamalu hit me in my thigh. I scored a TD, but I still remember that hit to this day. He hit me right on the pad in my thigh and I flipped over. That was one of the hardest hits I’ve had too. It gave me a little contusion.

---

@Gtogo: Did it ever bother you that people called you AP instead of AD ‘All Day’? 

I definitely prefer AD. It doesn’t bother me. People that know me, they call me AD. People call me AP, they’re fine.

---

@Estuko: Would you like to retire as a Viking? 

Oh yeah of course. Bleed purple. I spent a decade there. Have some lasting relationships. Definitely will be retiring in that Vikings uniform.

---

@NotRudy_Gobert: Super Bowl pick? 

I got Cincinnati. 28-24. I think their defense will step up, their offensive line, I think their running game will be a big factor in keeping Burrow up. Ain’t too much you can do about Aaron Donald, I think they’ll limit his opportunities. Hammer in the mouth in the run game, I think that’ll help ‘em loosen up. Two backs from Oklahoma, they’re in the Super Bowl for a reason. I definitely see them pulling it off. 

---

Hey Adrian so I understand you’re partnering with Rebalance which is some pretty cool stuff. Can you tell us more about the Rebalance System and what you’re doing with them? 

I’ve been working with this company for about three weeks, and I've been taking their supplement for about three weeks, and it’s been a hit for me.

If you want your mojo back, I’d suggest taking this supplement. Whether you’ve been working in the gym or in your daily life, for me it’s about mastering my mojo.

What’s attracted me to it the most is that it's all natural, and that’s always been important to me in my career, putting the right things into my body. And once I started researching it, it was a hit for me.

It helps balance your cortisol levels. That way your body can naturally enhance itself and produce hormones that allow your body to recover faster and become stronger. It’s been working tremendously for me and it’s been a hit, I encourage everyone to try it. You can do more research and preorder.

The majority of people have a high level of cortisol and that causes stress and diminishes your energy. To be able to balance that out and optimize your potential producing natural HGH and natural hormones to help your body receiver faster and build strength and endurance. Like I said it was a hit for me and it’s a no brainer.

Try it yourself and see if you believe in it and how it responds to you.

Former Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Ed Donatell has "emerged as the favorite" to take the same position with the Minnesota Vikings, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano.

The 65-year-old would work under Kevin O'Connell, who will be the Vikings' next head coach, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. O'Connell, the Los Angeles Rams' offensive coordinator, cannot be announced for the role until after the Super Bowl.

According to Fowler, the Seattle Seahawks planned to hire Donatell as a defensive assistant before the Vikings opportunity emerged.

The veteran coach helped the Broncos finish 2021 with the No. 3 scoring defense in the NFL and rank eighth in yards allowed.

Donatell spent three years in Denver and has been a defensive coordinator for 10 seasons in the NFL with the Broncos, Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers. He has more than 30 years of experience in the NFL dating back to 1990 as a secondary coach of the New York Jets.

In contrast, the 36-year-old O'Connell has never been a head coach and has only seven years of coaching experience.

It would be similar to how Rams coach Sean McVay approached his first head job. The offensive-minded coach brought in the well-traveled Wade Phillips as defensive coordinator when the Rams hired him at age 30 in 2017. The duo took the Rams to the Super Bowl in their second season together.

Minnesota is looking for a similar turnaround after an 8-9 season under Mike Zimmer.

The defense was an issue in 2021, finishing 24th in points allowed and 30th in yards allowed. It was a steep drop from 2017 when the unit ranked first in both categories.

The defensive coordinator will face pressure to get the defense back on track in 2022.   

While the Minnesota Vikings are expected to make Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell their next head coach after the Super Bowl, per The Athletic, the 36-year-old was far from the most high-profile candidate.

That distinction went to Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh.

Yet, Chad Graff and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic reported the Vikings never offered Harbaugh the job, meaning the reason he will not be the next coach "had nothing to do with money or a contract."

Instead, there was "just a realization that this was not the right fit."

This was about more than just Harbaugh's inability to land the job despite a lengthy interview Wednesday.

Graff and Krawczynski detailed the process and noted O'Connell "blew them away" when talking to the Vikings. As a result, he "quickly became the favorite of the search committee, which was looking to overhaul the working environment at team headquarters, prioritizing leadership, inclusivity and collaboration after the front office, coaching staff and roster fractured under the pressure on [Rick] Spielman and [Mike] Zimmer's watch."

While Harbaugh's resume, which includes time in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers, is impressive, there were some questions about how his tenure with the NFC West team and the speculation he was difficult to work with before it ended.

Despite the fact that "reports out of Michigan were that it felt like goodbye" when Harbaugh went to interview with Minnesota, "some in the Vikings organization wondered about his leadership style and how that would align with their new goals in the post-Spielman/Zimmer era."

Any momentum he had started to dissipate as the interview progressed, and he is headed back to the Wolverines as a result.

Harbaugh has been the head coach of his alma mater for seven seasons and has a 61-24 record. Much of his time with the Wolverines has been defined by the inability to win big games, with a 1-5 record against archrival Ohio State and a 1-5 record in bowl games, but he started to turn the corner in 2021.

Michigan defeated the Buckeyes for the first time in a decade and then won its first Big Ten championship since the conference installed a title game at the end of the season. While it lost to Georgia in the College Football Playoff, Michigan has more momentum and accomplishments under its belt than at any time during Harbaugh's tenure.

He will look to build on those accomplishments now that his chance to immediately return to the NFL has seemingly passed with this Vikings news.

Perhaps he will eventually be on an NFL sideline again—he went 44-19-1 and reached a Super Bowl while coaching the 49ers from 2011 to 2014—but the Vikings apparently didn't see him as a fit as they look to build a new culture and challenge the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North.             

Jim Harbaugh is staying at his alma mater.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Harbaugh informed Michigan on Wednesday after interviewing for the Minnesota Vikings head coach job that he would be returning to the school for the 2022 season.

The Wolverines were reportedly "elated" to retain the coach.

Jim Harbaugh told Warde Manuel that this would not be a re-occurring issue and he would stay at Michigan as long as it wants him, per sources. https://t.co/d3NVS4EdLl

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 3, 2022

According to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, the Vikings did not make an offer to Harbaugh. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported Harbaugh and the Vikings met for nine hours.

A former Michigan quarterback, Harbaugh took over in Ann Arbor in 2015 after parting ways with the San Francisco 49ers. He led the Wolverines to a 49-22 record, finishing in the Top 25 in three of his four seasons.

Michigan went just 2-4 during the 2020 season but turned it around with an appearance in the College Football Playoff in 2021. Just as importantly to those in Ann Arbor, this past season marked the first time Harbaugh led the Wolverines to victory over Ohio State.

Coming off his best season at Michigan, it appears Harbaugh will be looking to continue building the program despite interest from the NFL ranks.

Harbaugh went 44-19-1 in four seasons with the 49ers, leading them to a Super Bowl XLVII appearance. They went to the postseason three times under him.

The Minnesota Vikings are planning to interview Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh at around 8 a.m. CT on Wednesday, according to ESPN's Courtney Cronin.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Harbaugh has "confidence that he’ll land the job" as the Vikings search for Mike Zimmer's replacement. However, Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde spoke to a source who said he hasn't yet made any decision about whether he'd accept any offer.

At the very least, the timing of Harbaugh's interview is an obvious tell as to his priorities.

Wednesday is national signing day in college football. While Michigan is securing an incoming class of recruits, its head coach will be pursuing a new job. Uncertainty around the coaching situation is often a kiss of death on the recruiting trail.

To his credit, the father of 4-star wide receiver Darrius Clemons said Harbaugh indicated he might bolt for the NFL. That level of frankness isn't always the norm. 

On one hand, Harbaugh leaving now would be a bit odd. The Wolverines finally beat Ohio State for the first time since 2011 and reached the College Football Playoff. The 58-year-old went from being on the hot to positioning himself for a hefty pay raise.

On the other hand, Michigan's 34-11 loss to Georgia in the Orange Bowl demonstrated how far the program still needs to go in order to seriously challenge the country's elite. Things might not get much better than they were in 2021.

Jim Harbaugh surviving the hot seat, beating Ohio State + making the playoff, then immediately leaving on his own terms is an amazing career flex.

— Matt Hinton (@MattRHinton) February 2, 2022

Generally speaking, it's not hard to see why any college coach would want to leave the year-round grind of recruiting—with the transfer portal now adding to their offseason workload—behind for a slightly less demanding schedule.

Harbaugh already made a successful transition to the pros, too, compiling a 44-19-1 record with the San Francisco 49ers. He led the Niners to three consecutive NFC Championship games after they had failed to record a winning season in the eight seasons prior to his arrival.

If Harbaugh gets the Vikings job or lands with another NFL team, it would be less than ideal for Michigan because his successor would be arriving when spring practice is right around the corner.

But Michigan State was in a similar bind last year after Mark Dantonio's abrupt departure, and hiring Mel Tucker has worked out nicely so far.

And it might be more awkward at this point for Harbaugh to return when his flirtations with the NFL are common knowledge. Rightly or wrongly, many would perceive him to have one foot out the door if he sticks around at Michigan.

San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans has reportedly declined a second interview for the Minnesota Vikings vacant head coaching position, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Ryans plans to further his development in San Francisco on Kyle Shanahan's staff, Pelissero adds.

The Vikings interviewed Ryans on Jan. 23, and ESPN's Adam Schefter also reported the Las Vegas Raiders had interest in the first-year defensive coordinator before hiring former New England Patriots OC Josh McDaniels as their next head coach. 

Ryans took over as San Francisco's defensive coordinator this season following the departure of Robert Saleh to the New York Jets. Before that, the 37-year-old served as the franchise's defensive quality control coach in 2017 and insider linebackers coach from 2018-20. 

The 49ers defense ranked third in the NFL in total yards allowed, sixth in passing yards allowed, seventh in rushing yards allowed and ninth in points allowed in 2021. It was also pretty solid in playoff games against the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers before allowing 20 points to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game. 

Minnesota is in search of a new head coach after firing Mike Zimmer, who had been head coach since 2014. He went 72-56-1 overall but led the Vikings to just three postseason appearances in his eight years at the helm. 

The Vikings are also reportedly interested in Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell and defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, New York Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh. 

In addition to firing Zimmer, the Vikings also fired general manager Rick Spielman. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has since taken over as the franchise's GM.