Wes Phillips, who was arrested in December on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, entered a guilty plea to careless driving in February. He is eligible to return to work the week of the NFL draft.
Wes Phillips, the offensive coordinator for the Vikings, was banned without pay for three weeks starting on Tuesday. On February 15, he entered a guilty plea to reckless driving following his arrest on suspicion of driving while intoxicated on December 8.
Beginning on April 15, Phillips will miss the first week of the Vikings’ offseason training regimen. His ban is similar to what happens when an NFL player is charged with DUI for the first time, and it is probable that Phillips won’t be subject to any more punishment from the organization.
On December 8, Phillips was stopped for speeding on Interstate 394 in Minneapolis. When he was tested, his blood alcohol content was 0.10%, which is more than the state’s permitted limit of 0.08%. Despite coach Kevin O’Connell’s statement at the time that he was “incredibly disappointed” and Phillips’ declaration that he would accept any punishment resulting from the incident, Phillips managed the Vikings’ victory over the Raiders two days later and coached until the end of the regular season.
The Vikings started Phillips’ ban at a crucial point in their offseason, even though he will coach through the end of 2023 and won’t miss any games in 2024. This implies that Phillips won’t be with the team when players walk back into the building and the Vikings offense spends its first few days together after Kirk Cousins’ departure as quarterback.
The team is also nearing the end of its build-up to the NFL draft, in which it may select the highest-drafted quarterback in franchise history by trading up toward the top of the first round. Two days before to the start of the draft, on Tuesday, April 23, Phillips can go back to work. However, he will miss numerous predraft meetings and the Vikings’ in-person meetings with draft hopefuls in Eagan for several weeks.