Getty Former Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer (left) and general manager Rick Spielman (right). (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
Former Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman and head coach Mike Zimmer once laughed at a competitor for his draft selection, but they aren’t laughing now.
The incident in question took place in April 2020, during the first round of that year’s NFL draft. The Vikings were coming off the franchise’s most recent postseason appearance and last playoff win, which came over the New Orleans Saints. Things were looking up in the Twin Cities, and they were about to get a lot better.
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The Vikings were picking 22nd in the draft and looking for a wide receiver, having traded the aforementioned Diggs to the Buffalo Bills the month prior. The Philadelphia Eagles and then head coach Doug Pederson, two years removed from a Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots, were selecting one pick ahead of Minnesota and were also in the market for a pass catcher.
Video Transcript of Zimmer, Spielman Mocking Pederson & Eagles
GettyDoug Pederson, former head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Barstool Sportsbook took to Twitter on Sunday, January 16 to relive the moment that came next. The interaction was caught on video due to the remote nature of the all-Zoom draft, which proved necessary due to the coronavirus pandemic that was just beginning its first sweep across the United States.
Reminder: the Vikings laughed at the Eagles for drafting Jalen Reagor
“Reminder: the Vikings laughed at the Eagles for drafting Jalen Reagor,” Barstool’s tweet caption read.
The video post begins with Zimmer speculating on what Pederson is going to do with the Eagles’ 21st pick.
“He’s gonna take a receiver, too, right?” Zimmer asked, as though he already knew the answer.
The audio then picks up ESPN draft night host Trey Wingo.
“Meanwhile, we have the Philadelphia Eagles, and you [thought] they might go wide receiver,” Wingo said. “We’ve seen some wide receivers go off the board. It certainly seems like this would be a need that they need to fill.”
The sound then transfers to a female voice, though the woman speaking is not pictured in the Zoom or clearly identified by any of the speakers. However, she is clearly a member of the Vikings’ organization and is not speaking on the ESPN broadcast, only to Zimmer, Spielman and the rest of the members of the Minnesota front office on the call.
“Alright pick is in, we’re on the clock,” she said. “Jalen Reagor, wide receiver TCU [Texas Christian University], to the Eagles.”
Her announcement was met with “ooh’s” and “aaah’s” from the Vikings’ front office, along with smiles and laughter from Zimmer and Spielman.
“Get Justin Jefferson,” Zimmer said next.
“I’m on it,” Spielman responded.
Jefferson Has Been Top NFL Receiver Over First 2 Years
GettyMinnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson set a record for receiving yards over his first two NFL seasons.
In fairness, Zimmer and Spielman had reason to be joyous. Heck, they even had reason to be a bit scornful considering the player who had just fallen into their collective lap.
Pederson’s decision to bring Reagor to Philadelphia opened the door for the Vikings to draft wide receiver Justin Jefferson, just a few months off of a College Football Playoff National Championship with LSU.
In the two years since, Jefferson has been one of the best wide receivers in the league, making two Pro Bowls and being named a Second-Team All-Pro in both his rookie and sophomore NFL seasons. He has made 196 catches for 3,016 yards and 17 touchdowns, per Pro Football Reference, becoming the only wideout in league history to gain 3,000-plus yards receiving in his first two years. Reagor, meanwhile, has caught just 64 passes for 695 yards and 3 touchdowns over that same timeframe.
While Minnesota was right about Jefferson, and Philadelphia was wrong about Reagor, the Vikings have not capitalized on the advantage their superior draft judgment provided them. The Vikings have missed the playoffs in each of the last two years while the Eagles made the postseason in 2021, ultimately losing 31-15 to the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
Pederson has long since been fired in Philly, but Zimmer and Spielman followed not so soon after. Vikings ownership relieved both coach and general manager of their responsibilities on Monday, January 10, just one day following the end of a disappointing 8-9 season.
Minnesota is currently interviewing candidates for both positions, including Pederson as the potential replacement for Zimmer as head coach. Should the Vikings decide ultimately to hire Pederson, it would be an ironic end to the story — with the man who passed on Jefferson in Philly replacing the man who mocked him for it, then ending up with one of the game’s best wideouts anyway.
That pass was thrown by Case Keenum, not Cousins, and I’m not even a fan.