Major moves could be on the horizon this offseason for the Minnesota Vikings.
With ownership’s expectation of a postseason appearance on the line in Sunday’s primetime matchup against the Green Bay Packers, the Vikings could be one loss away from being eliminated from playoff contention.
And while quarterback Kirk Cousins and head coach Mike Zimmer seemed to have a linked fate in Minnesota, Cousins’ camp potentially revealed its desire for severance.
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Don Cousins Likes Tweets Disparaging Mike Zimmer
Cousins’ father, Don, was discovered to have liked a pair of tweets disparaging Zimmer.
The Viking Age’s Adam Patrick captured the tweets and published a story Thursday night.
The first was a query by SKOR North, asking “if it is time for the Minnesota Vikings to move on from Mike Zimmer?”
While liking the tweet isn’t direct disapproval of Zimmer, another tweet Don liked gives a stronger indication of where he stands with the Vikings coach.
“You give this exact Vikings roster to a competent head coach, and I guarantee this would be a highly seeded playoff team. Coaching matters,” the tweet read.
Don deleted his Twitter account on Friday — likely a precautionary measure of potential online harassment he would face from fans after Kirk, whose unvaccinated status remains controversial, tested positive for COVID-19 and was ruled out of Sunday’s matchup with the Green Bay Packers.
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Sunday Could Seal Vikings Leaders Fate
It remains to be seen how Sunday night’s primetime matchup in Green Bay will impact the Vikings.
For this season, a loss would eliminate Minnesota from playoff contention. That could be enough to get Zimmer fired after ownership has publicly expressed that “the club be a playoff factor to avoid fend off major changes.”
Beyond Zimmer’s job status, general manager Rick Spielman and Cousins are both on the chopping block as well. Cousins carries a $45 million cap hit in 2022, and for a team that needs to rebuild its defense, that cap hit won’t do the team any favors in securing top-tier free agents. The realistic options are to extend Cousins or trade him before June 1 to lighten his cap hit for the upcoming season.
The Vikings maintain they’re a playoff-caliber team that doesn’t need to enter a rebuild, which leaves the idea of a contract extension more realistic for Cousins.
However, he could see a linked fate with Spielman.
Spielman has been with the Vikings organization for 16 years, including a decade as general manager. His resume has been hit or miss, like most executives in the NFL. But if Vikings ownership calls for a full rebuild, Spielman and Cousins are both likely to be sent off by ownership with the prospects of getting the new regime draft capital in a trade involving Cousins.
The Vikings leadership trio are just the first dominos to fall in what will be a busy offseason. Anthony Barr, Patrick Peterson, Mackensie Alexander, Xavier Woods and Nick Vigil are all playing on expiring contracts. Minnesota also has a juncture of whether to extend or trade Danielle Hunter.
And whether those veterans want to return and help in the rehab of a struggling defense could depend on their loyalty to the organization and Zimmer.
Kirk Cousins’ Dad Deletes Social Media After Cryptic Mike Zimmer Twitter History