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Vikings Make Yet Another Shakeup to the Franchise’s Leadership

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Oct 20, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; New Orleans Saints co defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Vikings have made some pretty significant changes to their leadership this weekend.

On Friday, the franchise made national headlines by firing general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah after four seasons despite signing him to a contract extension just last offseason.

Then on Saturday, the Vikings made new coaching hires, including bringing in Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith as the assistant head coach alongside Kevin O’Connell.

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Sunday brought yet another shakeup for the franchise’s leadership as yet another coach joined the team.

Vikings Shake Things Up Again

Vikings New Coach
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordnator Ryan Nielsen looks on during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

The new coach is Ryan Nielsen, who will be the team’s defensive running game coordinator in 2026, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Nielsen, a Los Angeles native who will turn 47 years old on March 20, spent the 2025 season as a senior defensive assistant for the Buffalo Bills, a team that ranked 12th in points allowed per game.

Prior to last year, the defensive specialist has coached for nearly a decade at the NFL level. His first job came with the New Orleans Saints as the defensive line coach. He held that role four years and was also the assistant head coach in New Orleans during 2021 before being promoted to co-defensive coordinator in 2022.

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During 2021, the Saints had the No. 1 rushing defense in terms of yards allowed per carry. However, in 2022, that ranking took a big dip to 20th.

Jun 14, 2023; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen answers questions for the media during minicamp at IBM Performance Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

In 2023, Nielsen decided to leave the Saints and take the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach positions with the Atlanta Falcons. During that season, the Falcons had the 18th ranked scoring defense, allowing 21.9 points per game.

That being said, their run defense was their strength, allowing just 4.0 yards per carry, good for ninth in the NFL.

Nielsen was on the move once again in 2024, joining the Jacksonville Jaguars as defensive coordinator. Many will recall that season ended up being a lost year for the Jaguars, and it was the same story on defense. Jacksonville allowed 25.6 points per game during their 4-13 campaign, prompting the franchise to clean house. As a result, Nielsen ended up in Buffalo during 2025.

Jaguars defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen talks with his players during the fourth day of the NFL football training camp practice session Saturday, July 27, 2024 at EverBank Stadium’s Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]

The Vikings have had a strong run defense under Brian Flores’ tutelage over the past few years, ranking fourth, fourth, and eighth in yards allowed per carry during his three-year tenure.

Minnesota is hoping to get back into the top five with Nielsen on the staff.

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Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.

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Josh Frey is a senior writer at both PurplePTSD.com and VikingsTerritory.com, with a fascination for the NFL Draft. To … More about Josh Frey

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Sports

BlackCell, price, and what’s included

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4 February 2026

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Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 2 Battle Pass is set to launch on February 5, 2025, at 9 am PT. The new BlackCell BP has also been revealed in an official YouTube video and the Call of Duty blog. The headline skin in the pass is likely the Phantom BlackCell Operator skin. It’s a more grounded mil-sim-focused cosmetic addition to the game that fans may appreciate.

This article will go over the brand new Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 2 Battle Pass and explain what it includes.

Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 2 Battle Pass and BlackCell Price

Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 2 Battle Pass is available in the usual three tiers, which are:

  • Standard Battle Pass: 1,100 COD Points ($9.99)
  • Battle Pass Bundle: 2,400 COD Points.
  • BlackCell: $29.99

All three tiers offer different rewards to players, with the BP bundle granting you 20 Battle Pass Tokens and BlackCell providing additional cosmetics. The theme this time seems to focus on mil-sim versions of popular Operators such as Mason and Kagan. Here’s more.

What’s included in Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 2 Battle Pass and BlackCell?

Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 2 Battle Pass Mason skins (Image via Activision)Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 2 Battle Pass Mason skins (Image via Activision)
Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 2 Battle Pass Mason skins (Image via Activision)

After purchasing the Black Ops 7 Season 2 Battle Pass, you’ll be able to gain access to the Instant Rewards Page, which will offer the following items:

  • 10% Battle Pass XP Boost
  • The “Sage” Operator Skin for the new Victoria Atwood Operator plus a BlackCell variant for those who purchase BlackCell
  • The “Malcontent” Legendary Blueprint for the Razor 9mm
  • The “Arm Up” Animated Calling Card
  • The “Warped Skull” Emblem

As usual, you can play games to gain XP and make progress in the Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 2 Battle Pass. Similarly, if you purchase BlackCell, you’ll gain rewards from the BlackCell Instant Rewards page:

  • The “Phantom” BlackCell Operator
  • The “Eclipse” BlackCell alternate Skin for Phantom.
  • 1,100 COD Points
  • The “Initiator” Mastercraft Blueprint for the AK-27 Assault Rifle with Tracers and Death FX
  • The alternate “Fatalist” Mastercraft Blueprint for the AK-27 Assault Rifle with Tracers and Death FX
  • The “Sic ’Em” Companion Finishing Move
  • The “Go Time” Gun Screen
  • The “BlackCell” Clan Tag (showcased in Lobbies and Winner’s Circles)
  • The Season 02 HUD Theme (BlackCell only)
  • 10% XP Loyalty Boost
New Kagan skin in Black Ops 7 (Image via Activision)New Kagan skin in Black Ops 7 (Image via Activision)
New Kagan skin in Black Ops 7 (Image via Activision)

Players can also unlock bonus content by playing the game and unlocking various pages. They can earn seven BlackCell exclusive skins, including the following:

  • Instant Reward Page: The “Sage” BlackCell Skin for Atwood
  • BP Completion Page: The “Axial” BlackCell Skin for Atwood
  • Page 2: The “Zenith” BlackCell Skin for Mason
  • Page 4: The “Prognosis” BlackCell Skin for Falkner
  • Page 7: The “Guardsman” BlackCell Skin for Nikolai
  • Page 9: The “Devious” BlackCell Skin for Vermaak
  • Page 12: The “Forgenought” Skin for Reaper EWR-3

Furthermore, seven BlackCell Weapons Blueprints will also be available to the players, including:

  • Page 1: The “Paragon BlackCell” Blueprint for the MXR-17 Assault Rifle
  • Page 5: The “Deregulator BlackCell” Blueprint for the Warden 308 Marksman Rifle
  • Page 8: The “Big Pill BlackCell” Blueprint for the VS Recon Sniper Rifle
  • Page 10: The “Slim Chance BlackCell” Blueprint for the M10 Breacher Shotgun
  • Page 11: The “Accendo BlackCell” Blueprint for the REV-46 SMG
  • Page 13: The “Biosiphon BlackCell” Blueprint for the RK-9 SMG
  • Page 14: The “Photon BlackCell” Blueprint for the ERGT-17 Assault Rifle

Also read: Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 2 release countdown

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