Vikes OC Phillips pleads guilty to lesser charge
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Kevin Seifert, ESPN Staff Writer
Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips has entered a guilty plea stemming from a 2023 traffic stop in Minneapolis, according to court documents.
As part of an agreement with prosecutors, Phillips will plead guilty to an amended charge of misdemeanor careless driving. He will pay a $300 fine and a $78 surcharge, according to the documents, and perform eight hours of community work at a non-profit within 60 days. A hearing is scheduled for Friday in Hennepin County District Court to approve the agreement.
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On Dec. 8, Phillips was stopped on I-394 at approximately 9:45 p.m. CT. He showed signs of impairment and ultimately his blood alcohol content tested at 0.10, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. The legal limit in Minnesota is 0.08.
Phillips was booked into the Hennepin County jail and released early the next morning after posting $300 bond. He accompanied the team to Las Vegas later that day and performed his normal duties in its 3-0 victory over the Raiders.
Afterward, coach Kevin O’Connell said he was “incredibly disappointed” and said that the team “will continue to kind of process the information as we move forward and work through whatever discipline there may be at that point.”
Speaking later to reporters, Phillips said he would learn from his mistake.
“Aside from the standards I have for myself,” Phillips said, “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.”
