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Kevin O'Connell Had Wholesome Reaction to Sam Darnold, Vikings Locker Room Celebration

That's one proud coach.
Michael Kadlick|
O'Connell has been monumental to Darnold's development this season.
O'Connell has been monumental to Darnold's development this season. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

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Minnesota Vikings

Following some postgame interviews with FOX's Tom Rinaldi and Tom Brady after the Vikings' win on Sunday evening, quarterback Sam Darnold entered the Minnesota locker room later than usual—and was subsequently doused with cheers and water bottle showers from his teammates.

In a cool, proud, and overall wholesome moment, the Vikings' social media team caught head coach Kevin O'Connell watching the interaction in the distance—smiling and shaking his head at the way his signal-caller was lauded after the team's 14th win.

Check it out:

Darnold threw for a career-high 377 yards and three touchdowns in Minnesota's victory on Sunday, bringing them to 14-2 on the 2024 season. Through 16 games, the 27-year-old has thrown for 4,153 yards and 35 touchdowns—potentially setting himself up for a massive payday this offseason.

As for his Vikings, they enter Week 18 tied for the NFC North lead. They'll take on the Lions from Detroit this coming Sunday night for not only the division title, but also the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC Playoffs.

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Mike Kadlick
MICHAEL KADLICK

Mike Kadlick is an NFL writer for Sports Illustrated. He’s also a New England Patriots reporter for CLNS Media, where he hosts the Patriots Daily podcast and covers the beat from Gillette Stadium. Before joining SI, Kadlick worked at WEEI sports radio in Boston. He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. When Kadlick’s not covering football, he can be found running, spending time with his wife and dog, and enjoying all things pizza.

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