Minnesota Vikings ESPN reporter Kevin Seifert reported Tuesday morning that the team has suspended their offensive coordinator Wes Phillips for three weeks without pay due to a December traffic stop, and later a February guilty plea of careless driving.
On the night of December 8, 2023, Phillips was stopped in Minneapolis where his blood alcohol content was determined to be at 0.10, over the Minnesota legal limit of 0.08. He continued to work through the end of the 2023 season, but pleaded to a misdemeanor on February 15, with a sentence of a fine and community service.
According to Seifert’s report, the suspension will begin Tuesday and end on April 22. This will keep Phillips away from the team leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft on April 25, as well as the first week of the Vikings off-season workout program.
Wes Phillips is the son of former NFL head coach and Super Bowl 50 champion Wade Phillips, and the grandson of former NFL head coach and Texas Sports Hall of Famer Bud Phillips. Wes joined the Vikings in 2022 as their offensive coordinator where he led Minnesota to the 8th-highest scoring offense in the NFL. In 2023, without starting quarterback Kirk Cousins for over half the season, the Vikings offense regressed to 21st in the NFL.
Kevin Seifert also reported today that Minnesota is potentially planning on starting Sam Darnold at quarterback this season, and drafting a QB in 2025, rather than drafting one later this month. The Vikings currently hold the #11 and #23 picks in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.
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