Getty The Vikings are expected to move on from head coach Mike Zimmer this offseason, CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reported.
The NFL head coach carousel gets an early spin this season under new rules the Minnesota Vikings could capitalize on.
This year, the league passed a one-year trial on allowing teams with head coaching vacancies the opportunity to interview candidates in-season starting Tuesday, December 28, at 8 a.m. (12 days before the regular season ends), per NFL Network‘s Tom Pelissero.
Under the previous rules, teams had to wait until the season concluded before beginning interviews. With the trial rule and an added week to the regular season, teams with coaching vacancies have a wide-open window to get a head start on the interviewing process.
But there is a catch holding the Vikings back from taking advantage of the new rule at the moment, although they still have time to take advantage of new rule.
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Vikings Could See Early Move for a ‘Change of Culture’
Under the new rule, only teams with a head coach opening or have told their head coach that they won’t be returning next season can interview free-agent coaches or request permission to interview assistants from other teams. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders are in the clear to begin conducting interviews Tuesday.
Despite remaining mathematically in the playoff chase, the Vikings are among four other teams that could reach an ultimatum with their current head coaches soon to take advantage of the early-interviewing window, CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr speculated.
Kerr selected the Vikings among three other teams that could make necessary moves to become eligible to begin the interviewing process.
Here’s what Kerr wrote:
The Vikings are still in playoff contention, one game out of the final playoff spot in the NFC, yet it may be time to move on from Mike Zimmer. Minnesota is one loss away from its second consecutive losing season — a first under Zimmer — and is just 32-30 since reaching the NFC Championship Game in 2017.
The Vikings should be better than their record indicates, yet are 6-8 in one-possession games and have played in 12 straight games with the final score being eight points or less. This team could use a change of culture after eight years of Zimmer, but probably won’t move on from him while being in the thick of a playoff race. Minnesota may hold off on a decision for another week or two.
The Vikings currently have a 10% chance of making the postseason with their destiny out of their hands. Facing the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football this week, the Vikings could be virtually eliminated from playoff contention with a loss that could warrant the Wilf family to give Zimmer his resignation with a week remaining in the regular season.
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Head Coach Candidates
The calls for a new head coach have come as fans have grown tired of the Vikings’ conservative identity on offense. The prevailing thought of hiring a coach the opposite of their predecessor leaves the Vikings likely looking for a young offensive mind to take over as head coach.
Some coaches who fit that mold are offensive coordinators Kellen Moore (Dallas Cowboys), Eric Bieniemy (Kansas City Chiefs) and Byron Leftwich (Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell deemed Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson as an ideal candidate for the Vikings.
Here’s what Barnwell said he would do if he became general manager of the Vikings next offseason in a hypothetical segment on the Purple Insider podcast:
The Vikings would probably be interested in a player’s coach and an offensive-minded coach.
The guy who comes to mind for me and I would actually be not shocked if the Vikings hired is Doug Pederson. A guy who worked under Andy Reid very sound offensive mind. An open-minded guy. A guy who is analytics-friendly — a little inconsistent, but relative to other NFL coaches, pretty smart when it comes to game management. And a guy who has a good resume. He won a Super Bowl a few years ago with Nick Foles as his quarterback. I think since then, the results haven’t been all that great but last year with the Eagle so many injuries, that Carson Wentz situation did sort of turn into a disaster.
When you think about offensive coaches I would almost rather have the guy who did have a fall from grace recently and who has had an impressive resume in the past as opposed to someone like Kellen Moore, who has been impressive as a coordinator but we haven’t see him as a head coach. I don’t know how he would adaprt I don’t know how hr would deal with the expanded rule.
It wouldn’t shock me if the Vikings, in the same situation, would go for Pederson as well.
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Vikings Under Pressure With New Coach Interviewing Window Open, Analyst Says