Talent recognizes talent.
Recently, Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning tipped his hat to Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell.
In an interview posted Friday on X, Manning was asked by ESPN's Kevin Clark which NFL coach in this postseason he'd most like to play for.
"I'd go with Kevin O'Connell," Manning answered, noting he doesn't personally know the Vikings leader.
Minnesota's Wild Card game against the Los Angeles Rams Monday will have coverage of ESPN's Manning Cast, and Manning explained he is speaking with Rams Head Coach Sean McVay and QB Matthew Stafford ahead of the broadcast, while his younger brother Eli Manning is speaking with O'Connell and Sam Darnold.
But the division of assignments didn't thwart Peyton from shooting his shot, per se.
"I kind of sent Kevin O'Connell a cold text. I said, 'I apologize you're gonna have to talk to Eli on Saturday; that's 10 minutes you'll never get back,' " he quipped.
Manning also sent O'Connell a clip from The Breakdown, a series he hosts with former Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick.
"Bill's in a coat and tie; it's our last one. Bill dressed up big for the show, and I wore the same quarter zip I wear every Monday night," Manning said. "But I sent it to O'Connell and said, 'Hey, this is 20 minutes you'll never get back of staring at me and Bill Belichick's hair, but I have a lot of respect for the way you coach.'
"I just like how he does it," Manning told Clark, "and I'm just an observer."
The former quarterback referenced Minnesota's Week 17 defeat of Green Bay, after which O'Connell was captured standing back in the locker room, looking on as his team celebrated the victory and Darnold's impressive performance.
Manning said the moment "tells you everything you need to know" about O'Connell.
"It's about the players," Manning said. "You see this kind of smile on his face, he's got no ego, and I think he's a dynamic play caller.
"So, I'm going with Kevin O'Connell — whether or not he watches the 20-minute Breakdown show," he added in Manning-deadpan fashion.
O'Connell on Saturday acknowledged that not only had he received the video clip from Manning but that he'd taken the 20 minutes to view it, calling it "some pretty significant stuff" from a pair of pure football guys.
O'Connell said he'd gotten the text from Manning after returning to his office from a practice session.
"Anytime I've ever gotten a chance to have any interactions with Peyton was always me telling him how much I respect him and he's meant to this league," O'Connell said. "So to have that text was one of one.
"What his words mean … it's Peyton Manning," he added. "So that meant a lot to me that he would say that."
O'Connell noted he and Manning were able to "connect a little bit more," and he appreciated even more hearing specifically what the former QB appreciates about his approach.
"The reasons why, he's somebody that's incredibly observant of some of the details that matter to me and how we built this place," O'Connell said. "So that meant a lot. There's no other way to say it — it meant a lot."
As another part of Clark's interview, Manning was asked if there are any "lessons" to be gleaned about patience and quarterback development when looking at the success Darnold has had in Minnesota this season.
Though he acknowledged there are things to be learned, Manning emphasized "some of the credit has to go to Sam" and that not every similar situation would produce similar results.
He praised Darnold's determination and "what do they call it, sticktoitiveness?"
"I mean, he has stayed the course," Manning said. "He's been in different systems [over his career], and that's not easy. Whether you're on the same team for five years or you're on different teams, that's different offensive coordinators, different systems, different cultures. That's not easy, and Sam has just embraced it.
"Everywhere he's been, he's been a pro; he's picked up the system," Manning added, pointing to Darnold's 2023 season as a 49ers reserve quarterback and always been ready should he be called on.
"A lot of credit goes to him," he said. "But yeah, there's definitely a lesson that just because things don't work out right away in a guy's first stop, that doesn't mean, 'Let's just write him off forever.' "
Manning said it's been "fun" to watch Darnold put up career-high numbers and help lead the Vikings to a 14-3 season and postseason opportunity.
"He's been playing some outstanding football," Manning said. "I was watching some film this week, and I mean, he's made some big-time throws in critical situations."
