Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are reportedly taking another step toward potentially making Jim Harbaugh their next head coach.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported the NFC North team will interview the Michigan Wolverines coach Wednesday. This comes after "the sides spoke Saturday to gauge Harbaugh's interest in the head coaching job."

The list of candidates for the Vikings is also shrinking with Monday's developments:

There are multiple ways to look at the rumors regarding Harbaugh returning to the NFL.

On the one hand, he seems to have just turned a corner with the Wolverines after years of failing to live up to expectations. He led them to a victory over Ohio State, the Big Ten title and a College Football Playoff appearance during the 2021 campaign, which were all first-time accomplishments in seven years back at his alma mater.

It seems somewhat surprising that he would leave with a chance to establish long-term success, and perhaps he is using the NFL as leverage for a new contract.

However, another line of thought is he reached his ceiling at Michigan and will struggle to replicate his 2021 success with a number of key players departing ahead of the 2022 campaign. Leaving now would be akin to going out on the relative top, and it will give him a chance to pursue the Super Bowl he never won as a head coach in the NFL.

Harbaugh went 44-19-1 as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014 while making the playoffs three times and reaching the Super Bowl during the 2012 season.

Minnesota could also be well-positioned for immediate success with a roster that includes Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, especially if Aaron Rodgers ends up leaving the Green Bay Packers after another playoff loss.

It could be an ideal situation for Harbaugh to step into if he does return to the NFL.       

After the Los Angeles Rams clinched their spot in the Super Bowl on Sunday, the team's two coordinators could be moving closer to a head coaching job.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Minnesota Vikings will reportedly hold second interviews with both offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell and defensive coordinator Raheem Morris to fill their vacancy at head coach.

Both coaches had their first interview before the Vikings hired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as the team's general manager last week. 

O'Connell is also reportedly a target for the Jacksonville Jaguars opening, but the team didn't request an interview during the initial period, per Schefter, blocking them from formally speaking to him at this time.

The 36-year-old reportedly already had interviews with the Houston Texans and Denver Broncos. The former quarterback was considered a finalist for the Broncos position before the team went with Nathaniel Hackett. 

O'Connell has run the Rams offense the past two years, leading a group that ranked seventh in the league in points scored in 2021. It was a major turnaround with Matthew Stafford at quarterback after the unit finished 22nd in scoring offense a year earlier with Jared Goff under center. 

The San Diego State product also served as offensive coordinator of the Washington Football Team in 2019, but the squad finished dead last in the NFL in points scored and 31st in total yards.

Morris brings experience as a head coach after leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for three seasons and serving as interim coach for the Atlanta Falcons in 2020. The former defensive back has a 21-38 record overall as a head coach.

The 45-year-old is in his first season with the Rams, leading a defense that finished 15th in points allowed. The unit has forced five turnovers through three playoff games and is now one win away from a championship.

Either candidate could follow in the Sean McVay coaching tree, with Matt LaFleur, Zac Taylor and Brandon Staley all getting head coaching jobs after spending time with the Rams.

There will still be plenty of competition for the Vikings vacancy, with Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh among those interviewing for the position, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. New York Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is also in the mix, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. 

Minnesota is seeking a fresh start after eight years under Mike Zimmer, finishing 8-9 last season.   

Minnesota Vikings star running back Dalvin Cook plans to switch from No. 33 to No. 4 next season, but the NFL won't allow him to make the change for this year's Pro Bowl, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

In October, Cook said on Patrick Peterson's All Things Covered podcast that he was making the switch. 

"Breaking news. ... I'm putting on [No.] 4, I'm telling y'all I’m putting on 4," he said.

Cook has also posted two separate pictures of himself wearing a No. 4 Vikings jersey in the past two weeks on Instagram. 

So a change is coming. Just not until the 2022 season. 

It appears Jim Harbaugh might be one step closer to returning to the NFL. 

The Minnesota Vikings will reportedly interview the Michigan Wolverines head coach for their vacant head coaching position, according to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio on Saturday.

Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reported Sunday the "Vikings requested and received permission from Michigan to speak with Harbaugh—standard process for NFL teams—and had an exploratory conversation with him Saturday afternoon to gauge his interest."

Pelissero added, "Nothing further is scheduled, but Harbaugh remains a candidate for the job and it wouldn't be surprising if the Vikings bring him to the facility this week."

The Vikings are searching for a new head coach after firing Mike Zimmer earlier this month. Zimmer had served as the franchise's head coach since 2014, compiling a 72-56-1 record and leading the team to the postseason three times. 

As for Harbaugh, Florio previously reported his interest in returning to the NFL over "unfinished business." At the time, Florio reported Harbaugh is "watching and waiting to see whether a team with a reasonable ownership and general manager situation is interested in giving him an opportunity."

Minnesota recently hired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as GM to replace Rick Spielman. In addition to the Vikings, Florio listed the Denver Broncos and New York Giants as potential destinations for the Wolverines head coach. 

Harbaugh served as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014, compiling a 44-19-1 record. He led the franchise to three straight playoff appearances, including a trip to Super Bowl XLVII following the 2012 campaign. 

However, Harbaugh and the 49ers lost 34-31 to his brother, John Harbaugh, and the Baltimore Ravens. Because of that, it's not hard to see why he would have "unfinished business."

It's been speculated the 58-year-old would be a hot NFL candidate after he led Michigan to a 12-2 record and College Football Playoff appearance. However, it's unclear if the Vikings have him as one of their top choices. 

Minnesota has reportedly shown interest in Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell, Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, per various reports (h/t Fan Nation's Will Ragatz). 

The Vikings also showed interest in former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett before he agreed to become head coach of the Denver Broncos.  

The Minnesota Vikings hired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to replace Rick Spielman as general manager on Wednesday.

Adofo-Mensah noted he was "extremely thankful" for the opportunity in a statement:

I am extremely thankful to the Wilf family and the Vikings organization for giving me the opportunity to lead our football operations and join this respected franchise. There is so much to appreciate about this organization - an existing nucleus of talent on the roster, top-notch facilities, passionate fans and smart people throughout the building who are committed to winning. I look forward to partnering with our next head coach and our entire football operations staff to begin our work of bringing a Super Bowl to Vikings fans.

Adam Schefter of ESPN first reported the news.

NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe reported Adofo-Mensah will agree to a four-year, $12 million contract.

The Vikings fired Spielman at the end of the 2021 season after the team finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs for the second straight year. They also fired head coach Mike Zimmer but have yet to hire his replacement as they focused on a general manager first.

Spielman joined the Vikings in 2006 and took over as general manager in 2012. He was reportedly under contract through the 2023 season. Minnesota went 87-72 during his tenure.

The 59-year-old was credited with drafting Harrison Smith, Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks, Danielle Hunter, Stefon Diggs and Justin Jefferson. However, he also missed on players like Laquon Treadwell, Mike Hughes and Kellen Mond.

The Vikings have several players who could help them compete for a Super Bowl title, including Jefferson, Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook. However, there are questions about whether quarterback Kirk Cousins can lead Minnesota to the promised land.

Regardless, with a change at GM and head coach, the Vikings are looking to get back on track, and Adofo-Mensah should be a good fit.

Adofo-Mensah is a former college basketball player who worked on Wall Street before getting his first job in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers in 2013. The 40-year-old most recently served as the Browns vice president of football operations under Andrew Berry.

Adofo-Mensah has a degree in economics from Princeton and a master's from Stanford, in addition to an impressive NFL resume. He interviewed for the Carolina Panthers' GM position last year and is respected around the league.

The Vikings haven't had a winning season since 2019, but Adofo-Mensah will aim to help them reach their potential.

Minnesota has not featured in a Super Bowl since 1976, and it will have to take a big step forward under its new general manager to return in the near future.

The Minnesota Vikings appear to have landed on a favorite for their vacant general manager position.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Vikings are "expected to work to hire" Cleveland Browns vice president of football operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.

According to Rapoport, Adofo-Mensah is "the final finalist" for the Vikings, and the team is interviewing him for a second time.

ESPN's Courtney Cronin reported Adofo-Mensah is "meeting with various departments" in Minnesota and his interview could wrap up around 5 p.m. local time. 

After back-to-back losing seasons, including an 8-9 mark in 2021, the Vikings cleaned house by firing head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman. 

Spielman had been in the position since 2012. He was in his 16th season with the Vikings after being hired as vice president of player personnel in 2006. 

When Minnesota promoted Spielman to general manager, he became the first person in the organization with that official title since Mike Lynn in the 1980s. 

Ownership had given final authority on roster decisions to the head coach before Spielman took over as GM. The 59-year-old helped guide the Vikings to four playoff appearances in that role, including an appearance in the 2017 NFC Championship Game. 

Adofo-Mensah had his first interview with the Vikings last week. The 40-year-old has spent the past two seasons as the Browns vice president of football operations. 

Prior to joining the Browns, Adofo-Mensah spent seven seasons working in the San Francisco 49ers front office. He was their manager of football research and development from 2013 to 2017 and director of football research and development in 2018 and 2019.    

Former Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell issued a statement Saturday to deny a report he turned down interview requests from the Las Vegas Raiders and Minnesota Vikings to discuss their head coaching vacancies.

ESPN's Dan Graziano reported Friday that Caldwell turned down the opportunities amid separate interest from the Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars:

According to multiple sources, the Raiders and Vikings both reached out to former Colts and Lions coach Jim Caldwell this week to request to interview him, and he declined both requests. This indicates strongly that Caldwell believes he will get one of the other open jobs, and my understanding is that he's in the mix in both Chicago and Jacksonville and already is reaching out to candidates for his staff.

Caldwell posted a 62-50 regular-season record with four playoff appearances across seven years as a head coach, three with the Colts and four with the Lions. He guided Indy to Super Bowl XLIV before falling short against the New Orleans Saints.

His tenure with the Lions ended after the 2017 campaign despite posting back-to-back 9-7 seasons. Detroit has compiled a 17-46-2 record since his departure.

He was hired by the Miami Dolphins in 2019 to serve as their assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach, but he stepped away from those roles before the start of the season to focus on his health. He instead served as a consultant.

"I will be stepping back due to some medical complications that require my full attention," Caldwell said at the time.

Now the 67-year-old Wisconsin native has jumped back into the coaching carousel and has attracted interest from several teams as he looks to extend his career into a sixth decade. He started as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Iowa, in 1977.

It sounds like he's still trying to keep his options wide open despite the speculation he was already starting to build a staff for potentially Chicago or Jacksonville.

Caldwell gained a reputation of being well-liked by players, and he drew praise from legendary Colts quarterback Peyton Manning in 2014:

Jim Caldwell has meant a great deal to me in my career. I felt like, once he got to Indianapolis, and became my quarterbacks coach, that my game really improved. It took a step up, and I thought Jim had a great deal to do with that. He and I had a set routine that we tried to perform every day in the meeting room on the practice field in different drills.

Meanwhile, it's unclear whether the Raiders and Vikings will formally request an interview with Caldwell following his statement on Saturday.

They are two of the eight NFL teams searching for a new head coach.

The Minnesota Vikings announced they interviewed Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon for their head coaching vacancy.

Minnesota has also interviewed Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.

In addition to the Vikings, Gannon has spoken with the Houston Texans and Denver Broncos.

The 39-year-old worked with the Vikings from 2014 to 2017 as their assistant defensive backs coach. He left to become the defensive backs coach for the Indianapolis Colts before earning the Eagles' coordinator gig for the 2021 season.

Philadelphia ranked 10th in yards allowed (328.8) and 18th in points allowed (22.6). The unit finished 25th in defensive efficiency at Football Outsiders.

That Gannon is already getting multiple interviews for a possible head coach job speaks to how much his stock is rising inside the NFL. But his hiring is unlikely to excite Vikings fans.

He has only one year of experience as a high-level assistant in the league, and the performance of the Eagles defense was mixed at best. Philadelphia closed the regular season by giving up 475 yards and 51 points to the Dallas Cowboys and then allowed 31 points over three quarters to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card Round.

It seems more and more teams are willing to take a big bet on young, relatively unproven coaches.

If you're lucky, you wind up with Sean McVay, but you could be stuck with Joe Judge.

The Vikings are likely stuck with Kirk Cousins for at least one more season since getting off his $45 million cap hit would saddle them with a lot of dead money. Minnesota will have postseason aspirations in 2022.

Based on the limited sample Gannon has provided, he would be a risky hire for a team looking to win now.