The Minnesota Vikings have suspended offensive coordinator Wes Phillips for three weeks without pay after he pleaded guilty to a reckless driving charge during the 2023 season.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reported Phillips’ suspension on April 2, which will end on April 22.
Seifert mentioned that he'll be missing important draft preparations and the start of the team’s offseason fitness program.
Phillips was with the Los Angeles Rams when before joining the Minnesota Vikings. Kevin O’Connell
took over as head coach in 2022. He moved from being a tight ends coach with the Rams to an offensive coordinator in Minnesota as O’Connell’s main partner in planning the offense.
Vikings Coach Wes Phillips Answers for Original DWI Charge
Wes Phillips On December 8, Phillips was stopped by police on the highway at around 9:45 p.m. CT. Minnesota State Patrol Lieutenant Jill Frankfurth said in a statement that Phillips “showed signs of impairment” and had a blood alcohol level of 0.10, according to theMinneapolis Star Tribune
. The legal limit in Minnesota is 0.08. Phillips was arrested and taken to Hennepin County jail for a misdemeanor DWI charge. He was released the next morning after posting $300 bond and accompanied the Vikings that week for a road game against theLas Vegas Raiders
. He continued working through the end of the 2023 season. In February, Phillips admitted guilt to a reduced charge of misdemeanor careless driving, according to ESPN. He paid a $300 fine and a $78 surcharge and was assigned to perform eight hours of community work at a local nonprofit.
Phillips commented on the charge in his first media appearance the week following the incident.
“Apart from my personal standards,” Phillips said, per ESPN. “I understand that as a coach in this league, I have to maintain certain standards set by the NFL and the Minnesota Vikings, and I failed to do that. The last thing I would want is to distract from the great things these players do on the field. So that was unfortunate.
“I believe in being accountable, learning from mistakes, accepting any resulting consequences, growing from it, and moving forward with a positive attitude.”
Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell Stands By Phillips
GettyVikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips.
After the Vikings narrowly won 3-0 against the Raiders in December, O’Connell acknowledged Phillips’ mistake but expressed his support for his coordinator.
“Wes is one of the closest coaches I’ve ever been around. I care about him deeply, and as an organization, we’re going to support him. We understand that Wes recognizes his mistake, and we will handle it as we get more information and work through it,” O’Connell said in a postgame news conference. “But I think it’s a lesson for all of us. No matter what, you have to have a plan and make sure, because it was something we were all very disappointed in.”
O’Connell also claimed responsibility for deciding to let Phillips accompany the team after discussing it with Vikings leadership.
