Ex-Vikings Jerick McKinnon, Blake Bell are Super Bowl Champs Again

McKinnon returned from injury to play a role in Kansas City's title.

Will Ragatz | Feb 12, 2024

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Minnesota Vikings

Former Vikings Jerick McKinnon and Blake Bell are champions once again. The Chiefs defeated the 49ers in dramatic fashion on Sunday in Super Bowl LVIII, winning on an overtime touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes to Mecole Hardman. With their second consecutive title and their third in five years, they're officially cemented as a dynasty.

McKinnon returned from missing the first three postseason games with a groin injury and played 17 offensive snaps in the game. He caught two passes for 15 yards, one of which converted a third down with less a minute left in regulation on Kansas City's game-tying field goal drive. McKinnon, who was with the Vikings from 2014-17, also played 18 snaps on special teams. The 31-year-old is now a two-time champion.

Bell, who spent one year (2017) with the Vikings, is now a three-time champion with the Chiefs. He played ten offensive snaps in this game, eight of them as a run blocker. He also played six snaps on special teams. Bell played quarterback at Oklahoma before moving to tight end and carving out a nice NFL career for himself.

On the losing side of the coin was 49ers passing game coordinator Klint Kubiak, who was the Vikings' offensive coordinator in 2021 after two seasons as their quarterbacks coach. He's now off to New Orleans to serve as the Saints' new OC under Dennis Allen.

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Published Feb 12, 2024

WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.