Ex-Vikings QB retires to become coach on NFC North rival
Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sean Mannion is trading in his helmet for a coaching clipboard.
According to ESPN’s Brady Henderson, Mannion is retiring after nearly a decade as an NFL QB to join the Green Bay Packers’ coaching staff. The Oregon State alum will reportedly work with the QB room.
Mannion was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He played just 10 games for the Rams across his first four seasons before moving on to the Vikings. From 2019 to 2021, Mannion saw action four times in Minnesota and was eventually cut. He went 0-3 in three starts throughout his career.
The 31-year-old QB most recently spent time on the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad but was never able to suit up for the team in an NFL contest. Mannion completed 67 passes with 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions in his 9-year NFL career.
Despite barely taking the field as a player, Mannion was considered to be “destined” for a future in coaching due to his intellect.
Mannion will help coach breakout QB Jordan Love, who improved rapidly under head coach Matt LaFleur last season.
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Vikings Named ‘Draft Fit’ for Senior Bowl Standout With NFL Bloodline
The Minnesota Vikings boast one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL with Justin Jefferson and the emerging Jordan Addison, the No. 23 overall pick in the 2023 draft. They also have T.J. Hockenson, one of the game’s best tight ends when healthy.
That does not mean they couldn’t use even more support for Kirk Cousins or whoever is under center in Week 1. Especially with Hockenson potentially missing the start of the season.
This week of Senior Bowl practices may have uncovered the perfect option.
“Rice wide receiver Luke McCaffrey put forth a solid showing at this year’s Senior Bowl,” Draft Network’s Justin Melo wrote on February 2. “McCaffrey is a big-bodied, tough receiver with the short-area quickness and acceleration necessary to become a reliable slot receiver in the NFL.
“McCaffrey would be an excellent complement to Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, and Jordan Addison in Minnesota.”
“McCaffrey is a big-bodied, tough receiver with the short-area quickness and acceleration necessary to become a reliable slot receiver in the NFL,” Melo wrote of Rice star. “McCaffrey’s inside-outside versatility, paired with his effort and size as a blocker, could quickly get him on the field.”
Measuring in at 6-foot-1, 200-plus-pounds, McCaffrey is in his second season as a wide receiver. He began his career as a quarterback for the Cornhuskers and in his first season with the Owls.
This past season, he caught 71 passes for 992 yards and 13 touchdowns.
He also comes from a football family, including two NFL players, with brother Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers leading the NFL in rushing this past season. His father, Ed McCaffrey, played 13 seasons, including one with the 49ers and nine with the Denver Broncos.
McCaffrey may be worthy of the selection in his own right. But the Vikings’ decision to add him – or another receiver in general – could be a matter of need.
Analyst ‘Expects’ Vikings to Lose WR Duo
Melo expects the Vikings to lose backup wideouts Brandon Powell and K.J. Osborn, potentially pushing them to draft a replacement. The latter was floated as an option for the Cleveland Browns in free agency by Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger on January 31.
Osborn finished the season with 48 receptions, 540 yards, and three touchdowns despite playing with four different quarterbacks.
Powell had a 30-192-3 line on 44 targets.
That is a sizeable amount of production between the two. Hockenson’s recovery potentially bleeding into next season puts an additional burden on everyone else. McCaffrey could be a cost-effective option to replace one or both players.
Draft Network’s Keith Sanchez projects McCaffrey to be a Day 3 pick. Sanchez notes McCaffrey could be a “scheme specific contributor” in the NFL in his draft profile on January 23.
