Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips suspended without pay for three weeks

The Vikings suspended offensive coordinator Wes Phillips for three weeks without pay beginning Tuesday, after he pleaded guilty on Feb. 15 to careless driving as a result of his Dec. 8 arrest on suspicion of drunken driving.

Phillips will miss the first week of the Vikings’ offseason workout program, which begins on April 15. His suspension mirrors the NFL’s typical penalty for players charged with DUI for the first time, and likely means Phillips will not face further discipline from the league.

Phillips was pulled over for speeding on Interstate 394 in Minneapolis on Dec. 8, and registered a blood-alcohol level of 0.10%, above the state’s legal limit of 0.08%. He coached in the Vikings’ win over the Raiders two days later, and continued to coach through the end of the regular season, though coach Kevin O’Connell said at the time he was “incredibly disappointed” and Phillips said he would accept whatever discipline came as a result of the incident.

Though Phillips coached through the end of 2023 and will not miss any games in 2024 as a result of the suspension, the Vikings chose to begin it at a critical juncture of their offseason. It means Phillips will be away from the team as players return to the building and the Vikings offense spends its first days together following quarterback Kirk Cousins’ departure.

The team is also in its final weeks of preparation for an NFL draft where it could trade up near the the top of the first round and select the highest drafted quarterback in franchise history. Phillips can return to work Tuesday, April 23, two days before the start of the draft. But he will miss several weeks of predraft discussions and many of the Vikings’ on-site visits with draft prospects in Eagan.