Kevin O’Connell contract talks take center stage in Minnesota [Video]

Free agency happens in March. The draft, April. For the rest of January, the challenge for the Vikings will be to determine the long-term future of coach Kevin O’Connell.

He has earned a long-term extension. Yes, the pressure is building on him to win a playoff game. But he’s the first coach in franchise history with multiple 13-win seasons. And he’s only been on the job for three years.

The Week 18 Sunday Splash! report from Jay Glazer that multiple teams are interested in trading for O’Connell wasn’t idle talk. There’s tension in the relationship, stemming largely from the fact that he didn’t get an extension after his second season. Now that he’s one year away from free agency, he could be willing to let it ride, if necessary, and hit the market.

Yes, it rarely happens. Sure, there’s much more than a whiff of collusion when it comes to the NFL and coaches. There’s …