“He’s played a ton,” O’Connell said. “We’re trying to be aware of just how much he’s played and see if we can give him some spurts here and there where we can keep his play count where we want it, but at the same time he’s one of our best players, and as I like to call him, he’s the closer. How many times this year has he affected the quarterback, drawn a penalty, sacked the quarterback, strip-sacked last week in these critical moments?”
“On behalf of the whole Minnesota Vikings organization, just send him our well wishes and support,” O’Connell said. “We love Randy and know our fan base feels the same way. He’s really revered by all Vikings fans, and really by all NFL fans, with the Hall of Famer that he is, and I just want to let him know that we’re here for him.”
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