Jets' Kevin O'Connell trade hypothetical could be the swing Darren Mougey must take

As the New York Jets possibly get an early start on finding a replacement for Aaron Glenn and his five-win tenure, there could be some appeal in general manager Darren Mougey contacting the Minnesota Vikings and trying to get college teammate Kevin O'Connell in green and white.

NFL insider Benjamin Allbright, who can admittedly be hit or miss with coaching news, believes that Mougey may look at reuniting with O'Connell, whom he played alongside in college, via trade. O'Connell's stock is starting to fall despite his team's 6-1 start, as much of the credit has been assigned to defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

With the Vikings likely taking a gander at the Buffalo Bills firing Sean McDermott so as not to lose Joe Brady, they could move on from O'Connell at season's end to keep Flores in Minnesota. The Jets could beat everyone else to the punch for his services with a trade, but would that be the right move?

New York Jets trading for Kevin O'Connell as next head coach may come to fruition

O'Connell had gone 49-26 in parts of five seasons in charge of the Vikings, twice making the playoffs and only once finishing below .500 in that span. O'Connell, a former Rams offensive coordinator under Sean McVay, is a bit of an unusual case study, as his offensive output has come under fire.

Between backing the wrong horse in the Sam Darnold/JJ McCarthy debate and overseeing the worst football of Kyler Murray's career, is O'Connell really the brilliant offensive mind he has been hyped up as? The Vikings are 6-1, but that is due primarily to defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

O'Connell is unlikely to hire another Flores-level assistant, as his first hire at that spot was a major whiff in Ed Donatell. With the offense sputtering at a level that would put them alongside some of the worst teams in the league, landing O'Connell without Flores may not be the move that could take the Jets over the top.

Can Kevin O'Connell win with the New York Jets without Brian Flores?

O'Connell would bring the high floor the Jets have needed in the worst way, as 7-10, which would be one of the best Jets seasons in the last decade, only came about due to injuries and a non-functional defense. However, he isn't bringing Flores with him, and that may be as big a contributor to the team's success as O'Connell was in 2026.

The Vikings have an All-Pro receiver in Justin Jefferson, a solid offensive line, and an experienced former Pro Bowl quarterback. The Jets' offensive infrastructure should, in theory, be on par with Minnesota's, but O'Connell has failed to take advantage. Why would he suddenly fix things with a new coat of paint?

Trading picks for a coach rarely happens, though Sean Payton's success in Denver suggests that it may not be the worst idea in the world. However, Payton may have a gold jacket one day, while O'Connell might be too dependent on arguably the best defensive coordinator in the league.

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