Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips pleads guilty to careless driving

Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips pleaded guilty Thursday to a lesser charge of careless driving, according to court records, after a December arrest on suspicion of drunken driving.

Phillips’ plea agreement with prosecutors includes one year of probation, eight hours of community service and $378 in fines.

Phillips, 44, was initially charged with a fourth-degree DWI misdemeanor. He was pulled over for speeding on Interstate 394 in Minneapolis on Dec. 8, according to a statement from State Patrol Lt. Jill Frankfurth, and “showed signs of impairment.” He registered a blood alcohol level of 0.10%, above the legal limit of 0.08%.

Phillips is one of coach Kevin O’Connell’s top assistants, following O’Connell from the Rams to the Vikings in February 2022. He continued to coach uninterrupted with the Vikings, though O’Connell said he was “incredibly disappointed.”

“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 in December. “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.”