Vikings suspend OC Wes Phillips 3 weeks following December arrest
Phillips' suspension will end April 22, three days before the 2024 NFL Draft
Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips has been suspended by the team for three weeks without pay following the resolution of his legal case from December.
According to Minnesota State Patrol, Phillips was pulled over for speeding and displayed signs of impairment. His blood-alcohol level tested at 0.10%, which is above the state's legal limit of 0.08%.
Phillips, 44, was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving on Dec. 8 and booked into the Hennepin County jail. He was released the following morning after posting a bond of $300. According to ESPN, he joined the Vikings on their team flight to Las Vegas later that day and was not punished by the team during the regular season.
"I was incredibly disappointed," Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said following Phillips' arrest. "Wes is one of the closest coaches I've been around. I care about him deeply. We, as an organization, are going to support him and know, as Wes knows, that he made a mistake."
The suspension begins Tuesday and will run through April 22, three days before the 2024 NFL Draft. Phillips, the son of former NFL head coach Wade Phillips and the grandson of former NFL head coach Bum Phillips, will miss much of the Vikings' pre-draft preparation, as well as the first week of the team's offseason strength and conditioning program.
"Aside from the standards I have for myself, there are certain standards from the NFL and from the Minnesota Vikings, and I didn't live up to those standards," Phillips said during a December news conference. "The last thing I would ever want to do is detract from the attention being on the great things these guys do on the field. That was unfortunate. I do believe in being accountable and learning from your mistakes, accepting whatever discipline may come down the road and growing from it."
Phillips pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of careless driving during a February court appearance. The plea agreement includes one year of probation, a $378 fine and eight hours of community service.
