Lunchbreak: ‘NFL 50 Under 40’ Unveiled by The Athletic; Belichick Spotlights 2 Vikings

Young, groundbreaking, innovative thinkers have recently acquired a royal reputation in the NFL.

While they’re not quite a dime a dozen, there’s an influx of them, and it’s smart to know their names, their jobs and in what ways they’re influencing the game. They are, quite literally, the future of football.

Jourdan Rodrigue and Mike Jones of The Athletic put their heads together Wednesday to form the definitive list of up-and-coming wunderkinds and age-hurdling figures in the National Football League.

They dubbed it the “NFL 50 under 40,” and it gushes with coaches, executives, personalities and other personnel who are making waves at a relatively young age; names like former Vikings assistant coach Grant Udinski, who was just hired as Jacksonville’s offensive coordinator, and ex-Eagles All-Pro center turned media darling Jason Kelce, plus the buzziest agents in the landscape.

The Athletic began the catalog in 2020 with the “40 under 40” moniker but deemed it due for a makeover after a two-year hiatus. An exploding pool of 30-somethings prompted the expansion.

Rodrigue and Jones described the intent of the list as revealing “something deeper than a quick trend: the movers and shakers in every corner of the NFL’s ecosystem who will help mold it for years to come.”

Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell being on it hardly comes as a surprise.

The Bill Belichick-drafted former quarterback dizzied defenses this past season and caused hordes of media folk, former players and fans alike to laud his expertise as a brilliant offensive play designer.

O’Connell turns 40 in late May, but for now is one of the hottest under-40 names in the NFL:

Unsurprisingly, again, there’s a second member of the Vikings touted in the “50 under 40” piece; it’s confirmation that Minnesota’s competitive rebuild has benefited greatly from youthful skill and energy.

Here’s the SparkNotes scoop on Vikings Vice President of Football Operations Demitrius Washington.