Spencer Nelson

Daniel Jones didn’t hand Kevin O’Connell a rose when he picked the Minnesota Vikings, even though he had given O’Connell the thorns as a rookie head coach. O’Connell admitted he has “been a fan” of Jones when the New York Giants released their $160 million man in late November. Still, he played a little coy. We didn’t know if O’Connell like liked Jones until the Vikings signed the quarterback who eliminated them in the first round of the 2022 playoffs.

As Week 9 approaches, the Minnesota Vikings say they are working Cam Akers into the game plan and are happy to have Dalton Risner in the mix. “Cam’s here for a reason,” O’Connell said. “Dalton’s very much a part of the conversation,” he added. “I anticipate trying to get him up to speed and ready to roll.” Those quotes were from Wednesday’s practice, but they could have been from last year. The Vikings signed Risner on September 19 and traded for Akers 24 hours later.