Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell makes unheard of OTAs announcement after team’s first open media session

Ryan OLeary

Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell makes unheard of OTAs announcement after team’s first open media session image

The 2025 Minnesota Vikings are all-in — literally.

The Vikings held their first open workout session of the offseason on Monday, and head coach Kevin O’Connell announced to the local media after practice that the team had “darn near 100% participation.”

“To have, really, the totality of your football team here in the month of May, working together,” the coach added, “and so much coaching, teaching, guys learning, growth, development, all of the things that we love as coaches… and our players know, to get to where we want to get to this season, this is certainly going to be a part of it.”

This is all music to the ears of Vikings fans, whose team is entering a Super Bowl window with a star-studded roster surrounding first-year starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The former Michigan star wasn’t only on the field Wednesday — but he was throwing passes to No. 1 wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who skipped OTAs in each of the last two seasons.

In 2024, Jefferson had a contract extension that needed to be resolved, but the superstar is fully engaged with voluntary workouts this season, looking to get as much 11-on-11 work with McCarthy as possible.

“Every receiver that I’m with, it’s that timing, those reps, all of that has to be built up over time,” McCarthy said. “So the more reps, the better.”

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No team has their entire lineup on the field during OTAs. The Vikings, for example, don't have franchise left tackle Christian Darrisaw back quite yet. He’s still working his way back from a torn ACL suffered in Week 8 of last season.

The vibes are certainly trending in the right direction here, though, as we get our first glimpse of the 2025 Vikings.

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Ryan OLeary

Ryan O'Leary has spent his entire professional career in sports multimedia, working as journalist, editor, podcaster, and in live events as a content manager and show emcee. His career highlights include working as a podcast host and audio editor for USA TODAY Sports Media Group, where he led a series of NFL podcasts for the company’s top-performing NFL sites. A born and raised New Englander, Ryan’s career kicked-off in newspapers after graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in journalism. He developed an affinity for small-town youth, high school and college sports, while also realizing his childhood dream of covering the Patriots in multiple AFC Championship Games. Ryan enjoys kicking it with family and friends, beating his dad and brother in chess, and arguing with anyone crazy enough to insist that Tom Brady isn’t the GOAT.