Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell a long-time fan of Carson Wentz and backs quarterback for comeback success
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell says he has always been an admirer of quarterback Carson Wentz as he prepares for his second start in Dublin this weekend; coverage from Croke Park begins at 1.30pm ahead of kickoff at 2.30pm live on Sky Sports NFL this Sunday
Saturday 27 September 2025 15:57, UK
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell has established himself as one of the NFL's great modern quarterback whisperers, with his latest case study primed to take centre stage in Dublin on Sunday.
Carson Wentz will again start at quarterback in place of the injured J.J. McCarthy when the Vikings face the Pittsburgh Steelers at Croke Park, live on Sky Sports NFL.
Wentz threw for 173 yards and two touchdown passes in last weekend's 48-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals as he extended his NFL record of making at least one start for six different teams in a six-year period.
It would prove the latest shining example of O'Connell's offensive architectural ability to put his players in a position to succeed.
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"Carson's a guy I've always really liked and appreciated his game for many reasons," O'Connell told Sky Sports.
"Early on in his career, I was in the division. I was in Washington playing against him when he was MVP candidate in Philadelphia, former second pick in the draft.
"He's got all of the talent. He's big. He's strong. He can see the whole field. He can make every throw. He's got enough athleticism to change the game on a play, off schedule if he has to."
O'Connell notably guided Sam Darnold to a career-resurrecting season in 2024 as the written-off former 2018 third overall pick led Minnesota to the playoffs while earning himself a bumper contract with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason.
Between Geno Smith in Seattle, Baker Mayfield in Tampa, Sam Darnold in Minnesota and - a developing story in the 2025 season - Daniel Jones in Indianapolis, the league has witnessed a rush of quarterback comeback stories in recent years. A theme to unlocked, or re-unlocked, talent has been an injection of coaching in the surroundings of the NFL's best coaching setups.
"But what I've really learned, I really enjoy coaching guys that have been on the journey, either the highs of what it's been like for him at times or the not-so-highs where people decide very quickly, 'let's move on to the next, this guy can't play', I just don't really read into that," O'Connell continued.
"I try to look at each player as an evaluation process of not only what they've been, what they are, but most importantly combining those two things to what they can be.
"And then setting a course and a path to get there, where we're ultra-consistent and we're just trying to authentically build that player up, lift them up with the team-mates around them, the confidence this organisation has.
"And pretty soon you see their feet rise off the ground a little bit and they start walking a little different. They start talking a little different. And once you have that, then you have the ability to really catch fire and have some momentum."
McCarthy is closing in on his return from a high ankle sprain suffered on September 14 after a shaky start to the season from the second-year quarterback, who missed his entire rookie campaign through injury.
It presents a window of opportunity for Wentz as he goes toe-to-toe with four-time league MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers this weekend, with Minnesota seeking to improve on their 2-1 start to the year.
Watch the Steelers face the Vikings at Dublin's Croke Park live on Sky Sports NFL this Sunday, with coverage from 1.30pm ahead of kickoff at 2.30pm; Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.
