Minnesota Vikings wide receiver coach Keenan McCardell enjoyed a 16-year career in the NFL as a player. He played on five different teams and surpassed 1,000 receiving yards five times during his career. He was considered one of the better NFL receivers during his prime and is now one of the better receiving coaches.
McCardell helped Jordan Addison transcend into the player he has become. Addison took over a major role on the Vikings’ offense when Justin Jefferson missed some time last season. As a rookie, Addison caught for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns.
But McCardell isn’t just a good developer. He has become a mentor to players like Jefferson.
The star receiver has become extremely close to McCardell. In fact, when Mike Zimmer’s tenure in Minnesota ended, and Kevin O’Connell became the new coach, Jefferson went to both O’Connell and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and asked them to keep McCardell on staff.
They did.
McCardell was a big influence on Jefferson during his contract talks with the Vikings. According to The Athletic’s Alec Lewis, McCardell and Jefferson had many private conversations about his contract extension, and with McCardell having the same experience during his playing days, he could give the phenom advice.
Privately, he and McCardell strategized how to approach the contract negotiations. McCardell held out for a contract in Tampa Bay and was traded to San Diego. The approach worked out for him, but it also shaped his perspective.
“Just be professional about it,” McCardell told Jefferson. “You don’t need to get involved. Let your agent handle it. Everybody knows you deserve it. You know you deserve it. It’s going to happen. You want to be the face of the Vikings, and you will, so let it play out.”
Jefferson was patient, and you never heard much anger from his camp. The Vikings made the deal, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL.