EAGAN, Minnesota — Training camp is usually a buzzy, hopeful time of year for an NFL club, but the Minnesota Vikings’ start to camp took a more solemn tone Monday.
During their pre-camp news conference, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell first discussed Khyree Jackson, the Vikings’ rookie cornerback who died in a vehicle accident in Maryland earlier this month.
“Khyree was not a part of our team long, but the way our culture is and, more importantly, speaking to our locker room and our players, it does not take long for guys to build strong bonds and relationships,” O’Connell told ESPN. “It was pretty astonishing to hear the level of influence that he made in such a short period.
“Of time.” Adofo-Mensah stated that he, O’Connell, and other Vikings members will attend Jackson’s funeral, and the team will also throw a life celebration in Minnesota.
“Between his joy and the way he would attack life and then also just that hardworking spirit was partly why we were so excited to add him to this building, to this culture, and it’s a tragedy that he’s not here,” according to Adofo-Mensah.
O’Connell said the squad will honor Jackson with helmet decals and lapel pins during the season.
The sad tone continued after Jackson’s funeral service, when the club brass was questioned about wide receiver Jordan Addison’s arrest for reportedly driving under the influence.
“We are disappointed with Jordan. “We genuinely care about these players,” O’Connell remarked. “We want to make sure we’re doing our part for the development on the field and the other aspect of that is the off-the-field and the life skills and the development of decision-making.”
O’Connell stated that any disciplinary action against Addison will be delayed until the legal procedure and the NFL’s own investigation into the situation are completed.
“Any disappointment we might have in Jordan, Jordan has more in himself,” Adofo-Mensah remarked. “He holds himself to a high standard, was raised by a great family, he knows the types of behaviors he needs to do to be the best version of himself, and he’s let himself down in that regards.”
Despite the dourness, football will be played this week when players come to camp. The most fascinating on-field drama will be the quarterback battle between free agent addition Sam Darnold and rookie J.J. McCarthy. Though O’Connell has already stated that Darnold had the inside track on the starting job, he emphasized Monday there will be a true competition.
“I have no preconceived, preset depth chart in my mind,” he told me. “Sam had an excellent spring. J.J. came in here after being drafted and had a really productive spring… My message to those guys is that I want a highly competitive environment.
On the offensive side, there are also worries about tight end T.J. Hockenson, who tore his ACL late last season.
and will most likely not have fully recovered by the start of this one. “T.J. will begin training camp on the [physically unable to perform] list,” O’Connell told reporters. “He’s well ahead of schedule from the standpoint of some of the benchmarks throughout his rehab.”
With so much uncertainty — Addison’s probable punishment, quarterback competition, and Hockenson’s recuperation — this will be one of the Vikings’ most carefully watched camps in years. But O’Connell stated that the team is prepared for it.
“We’ll adapt and be flexible with our plans,” said the coach, “but clearly it’s going to be a very competitive camp at multiple positions.”
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