Kevin O’Connell’s Quote from Thursday Night Wasn’t About Sam Darnold

Christopher Gates has been the lead writer at The Daily Norseman since the site launched in July of 2006, covering the Minnesota Vikings day in and day out.

Following Thursday night’s NFL Honors ceremony, things got a little weird for Minnesota Vikings fans when a reporter from the Detroit Free Press reported that head coach Kevin O’Connell, fresh off of winning his first NFL Coach of the Year Award, said that quarterback Sam Darnold would be a “huge part” of bringing a championship to Minnesota.

This was news to most Vikings fans, given that Darnold is set to hit free agency in a little more than a month and the team has J.J. McCarthy waiting to take over the team. The feeling among many…