Minnesota Vikings suspend OC Wes Phillips for three weeks as result of 2023 traffic stop
The Vikings suspended offensive coordinator Wes Phillips as punlshment for a traffic incident dating back to early December.
The suspension is for three weeks. And although the season does not start until September, Phillips’ penalty begins today and will end April 22, three days before the NFL Draft.
About six weeks ago, Phillips accepted a plea deal from Hennepin County prosecutors. The deal allowed the original charge of misdemeanor DWI to drop to misdemeanor careless driving. The court ordered him to pay a fine of $300 and $78 and perform eight hours of community service at a non-profit within two months of the plea deal.
Police pulled over Phillips for speeding on Dec. 8 at about 9:45 p.m. The police report said that Phillips displayed signs of impairment. His blood alcohol test showed a level of .10, which is .02 higher than the legal limit.
Vikings offensive coordinator immediately acknowledged mistake
After the arrest, Phillips addressed reporters and took full responsibility for his actions. He said:
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“Aside from the standards I have for myself, I do understand that as a coach in this league there are certain standards from the NFL and from the Minnesota Vikings, and I didn’t live up to those standards. 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. So that was unfortunate.
“I do believe in being accountable, and learning from your mistakes, accepting whatever discipline that may come down the road, growing from it and going forward with a positive attitude.”
Phillips is the son of former Dallas Cowboys coach Wade Phillips. Wes is beginning his 18th season in the NFL and third with the Vikings. Before he arrived in Minnesota, Phillips worked as tight ends coach and pass game coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, the year that the team won the Super Bowl.