The Vikings and Kevin O’Connell are bringing a fast-riser on board.
The Minnesota Vikings lost one of their top assistants to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Head coach Kevin O’Connell now has the replacement for Grant Udinski on deck in the form of a former New Orleans Saints assistant.
O’Connell is hiring Jordan Traylor as the new assistant offensive coordinator and co-quarterbacks coach, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network Monday. O’Connell is also making a young hire to his 2025 staff.
“Traylor, just 31, fills a key void,” Rapoport said on X.
Again, Udinski is joining the Jaguars — where he’ll work with a past co-worker of O’Connell’s. Incoming Jacksonville head coach Liam Coen coached alongside O’Connell while with the Los Angeles Rams in 2020. O’Connell served as the offensive coordinator under Sean McVay, while Coen handled assistant QBs coach.
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Traylor’s incoming arrival speaks to this motive on the Vikings’ and O’Connell’s end: Keeping Sam Darnold. The Vikings are rumored to have something strategic in place for Darnold.
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Minnesota watched the former top three pick produce his best season yet. Darnold delivered his first-ever 4,000-yard season and fired a career-best 35 touchdowns. The Vikings were even one victory away from clinching the NFC’s top seed before losing to the Detroit Lions in the season finale. Minnesota’s season ended at the hands of the Rams in the first round of the NFC postseason.
Darnold will command significant attention in about a week. He’s the top free agent quarterback for the 2025 class. The 27-year-old Darnold signed only a one-year deal with Minnesota in 2024.
Darnold, though, took over the starting QB reins after rookie J.J. McCarthy tore his ACL during preseason. The veteran guided Minnesota to its most regular season wins since 1998 — when the Vikings went 15-1 under the late Dennis Green and featured a rookie named Randy Moss.
Traylor has a history with working with QBs at both the NFL and college level. He coached the signal-callers at the University of Arkansas in 2018. Traylor also worked with QBs as an offensive graduate assistant with the University of Texas from 2016 to 2017.
The future Vikings assistant watched the Saints cycle through three different starters in ’24: Derek Carr, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener. New Orleans ranked 23rd overall in passing yardage. Now, O’Connell could have him work with Darnold if the Vikings keep him.