Vikings Reportedly Hiring Bears' Deshea Townsend as Secondary Coach

The Vikings are hiring former Bears secondary coach Deshea Townsend to the same role on Kevin O'Connell's coaching staff, according to Pro Football Network's Aaron Wilson.

O'Connell's staff is continuing to take shape. Minnesota is now expected to hire two former Bears assistants in Townsend and defensive line coach Chris Rumph to work under defensive coordinator Ed Donatell, who is a former Bears position coach as well. When Donatell left Chicago to become the Broncos' defensive coordinator in 2019, Townsend was his replacement as the Bears' defensive backs coach.

Update: Townsend had a "change of heart" and is headed to the Jaguars instead.

In addition to those reported hires on the defensive side, the Vikings have added Curtis Modkins (running backs/run game coordinator) and Chris Kuper (offensive line) from the Broncos and retained wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell.

Townsend, like O'Connell, McCardell, and Kuper, is a relatively young former NFL player (he's 46) who got into coaching after his playing days ended. A fourth-round pick in 1998, he spent 12 years with the Steelers and played one final season with the Colts in 2010 before retiring. Townsend was never a Pro Bowler but had a very strong career, playing in 191 games (80 starts) with 21 interceptions, three touchdowns, and 15.5 sacks.

His first job as a coach was as the Cardinals' assistant DBs coach in 2011. Coincidentally, that meant he was working closely with rookie cornerback Patrick Peterson, who is now a free agent after playing his first season for the Vikings last year. Peterson apparently wants to return to Minnesota if it works out, and the presence of Townsend presumably only adds to that sentiment.

After two seasons with the Cardinals, Townsend spent three years coaching cornerbacks at Mississippi State, then landed his first NFL position coach job as the Titans' DBs coach. He spent two seasons in Tennessee, one with the Giants, and then the last three with the Bears.

Chicago's secondaries have been stout under Townsend. The unit was undermanned in 2021, but Jaylon Johnson developed into a strong No. 1 corner in his second season and Townsend got contributions from all kinds of players. Kyle Fuller, Eddie Jackson, and others had strong seasons for the Bears over the past few years.

This seems like a solid hire for the Vikings' defense, considering Townsend's talent as a coach and his ability to relate with players and relay wisdom from his playing days.

Here's an updated look at the staff:

Head coach: Kevin O'Connell
Offensive coordinator:
Quarterbacks:
Running backs/run game coordinator: Curtis Modkins
Wide receivers: Keenan McCardell
Tight ends:
Offensive line: Chris Kuper
Defensive coordinator: Ed Donatell
Defensive line: Chris Rumph
Linebackers:
Defensive backs: Deshea Townsend
Special teams coordinator:

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