Getty Head coach Mike Zimmer of the Minnesota Vikings looks on from the sideline in the first quarter of the game against the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium on January 09, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer may not be back with the team next year but if that is the case, he has yet to hear about it.
Zimmer was testy and defiant following Minnesota’s 31-17 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, January 9. The Vikings finished the season with a disappointing 8-9 record, missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year.
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Rumors that Zimmer is a lame duck coach playing out the 2021 string in Minneapolis have swirled for weeks, and one can only imagine how difficult it would be to hear report after report of your own professional demise while being continuously trotted out in front of the media and forced to answer questions about it. The stress, frustration and anger that must accompany his situation showed themselves in Zimmer’s comments Sunday, when he was asked by a reporter during the postgame press conference if he had been informed as to his status as head coach.
Ben Goessling, Vikings beat reporter for the Star Tribune, took to Twitter and shared the details of the interaction.
Mike Zimmer said he hasn’t heard about his job status. “I haven’t heard about yours, either,” he says to the reporter who asked the question.
“Mike Zimmer said he hasn’t heard about his job status,” Goessling wrote on Twitter.
The coach followed up on his answer by commenting to the reporter who asked the question: “I haven’t heard about yours, either.”
Zimmer Firing Near a Foregone Conclusion in Media for Weeks
GettyHead coach Mike Zimmer, of the Minnesota Vikings, reacts to a penalty call during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium on October 10, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
The notion that Zimmer’s days in Minneapolis are numbered has been gaining momentum for much of the last month, strengthening with each step further away from the postseason the Vikings took during December.
Jason La Canfora, of CBS Sports, published the most recent report of Zimmer’s impending exit from Minnesota just one day before the Vikings hosted the Bears in the regular season finale.
“The Vikings are expected to move on from head coach Mike Zimmer this week, league sources said, though longtime general manager Rick Spielman is likely to remain with the organization,” La Canfora reported.
He continued, saying that Zimmer had previously been on the hot seat in Minnesota and that his job was contingent on the team’s performance this season, particularly after clashes within the ranks of the Vikings’ coaching staff.
“Zimmer was nearly let go a few years back, and sources said there was a clear mandate from ownership to be a true contender in 2021,” La Canfora wrote. “Minnesota got off to a slow start, has erratic results from week to week and never sustained any momentum on either side of the ball. Zimmer was under fire for the construction of his staff and has repeatedly clashed with offensive staff over the years.”
Kirk Cousins’ Future in Minnesota Could be Tied to Zimmer Departure
GettyMinnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer.
If Zimmer’s “abrasive” nature was a part of the problem, as La Canfora indicated, the Vikings might consider a different personality type. But a different personality likely breeds a different philosophy, which could mean big changes are coming to the roster.
The most likely change would be under center, where quarterback Kirk Cousins is set to make $45 million next season, including $35 million in base salary. That’s a steep price to pay for the mediocrity the team has produces, and the Vikings need help across other parts of the roster, including their edge pass rush.
There’s a litany of different ways Minnesota could go with Cousins, and trade proposals involving the Denver Broncos, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cleveland Browns and the Philadelphia Eagles have already been floated by NFL insiders.
Should the Vikings strike a deal with one of those franchises without a suitable starting QB included as part of the package they receive in return, Minnesota would still have options. The Vikings could turn to rookie Kellen Mond or try to sign an established veteran like Matt Ryan, who may part with the Atlanta Falcons this offseason if the team exercises the fourth-year out built into the former MVP’s contract.
Regardless, Cousins is in the final year of his contract, meaning that Minnesota is highly likely to either extend him long term during the offseason or ship him out.
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Vikings HC Mike Zimmer Defiant, Refutes Reports of Imminent Firing