Mike

Zimmer

Zimmer’s lone season with the Cowboys was a forgettable one, as his defense ranked near the bottom of the league in several categories. Injuries at key positions didn’t help his cause, but the 68-year-old coach has seen his defense rank in the bottom third of the league over each of his last three seasons (2020, 2021, and 2024), and may not be ready to call it a career. Zimmer’s loan head coaching gig came with the Vikings (2014-2021). He went 72-56-1 with them over that span while making three playoff appearances and making the conference championship game once. Werder also reports that the Cowboys are “likely” to hire former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus to replace Zimmer. We would expect to hear more on that soon.

Zimmer coached the Cowboys from 1994 until 2006, starting as a defensive assistant. He was eventually promoted to defensive coordinator in 2000 and remained in his position until 2006. After one season as the Falcons’ defensive coordinator (2007), Zimmer went on to serve as the Bengals’ defensive coordinator from 2008 to 2013 and then was hired as the Vikings’ head coach (2014-2021). Zimmer produced several top defensive units back in his heyday and will now be tasked with replacing Dan Quinn, whose defense never finished worse than seventh in points allowed per game. Fortunately, Zimmer has several elite playmakers in place to make for an easy transition back into the pros.

Zimmer had been tied to the Cowboys since the middle of January when it appeared likely that Dan Quinn would be moving on from the team. Zimmer worked as an assistant coach in Dallas for over a decade earlier in his career and is familiar with owner Jerry Jones, which could land the longtime coach a position in Dallas working with one of the league’s top defensive rosters.

Zimmer is still one of the NFL’s better-regarded defensive minds despite his Vikings flameout, and was with the Cowboys during their ‘90s glory years, eventually ascending to defensive coordinator for 2000-06. Although the Vikings’ defense was not impressive the past two seasons, the issue seemed to be more about personnel than coaching. Zimmer, of course, would have some elite young personnel in Dallas, none more so than certain DROY Micah Parsons. Although Zimmer is stubborn and going on 66, his hiring would probably be a good outcome for Big D.

The Vikings made the postseason three times in Zimmer’s eight-year run, a disappointing result for talented teams that too often underachieved. Zimmer finishes his tenure with a 74-59-1 record, going 2-3 in the postseason. 2021 was Zimmer’s chance to get his typically-strong defense back on track after a 2020 season in which they were a bottom-barrel unit plagued by injuries. The ’21 group was scarcely better, though, allowing the eighth most points per game (25.1) and the third most yards per game (383.6) in the league. Of the nine coaches in Vikings team history, Zimmer is third in length of tenure, wins, and winning percentage, trailing Bud Grant and Dennis Green. His teams never lived up to expectations and Minnesota ownership proved unwilling to give Zimmer and GM Rick Spielman -- who was also fired Monday -- another shot. Neither Zimmer nor Spielman could survive Kirk Cousins’ inability to propel Minnesota into the league’s elite tier.

It’s a stunner of a move after the team was reportedly settled on keeping Spielman while axing head coach Mike Zimmer. Instead, both men are gone after a third straight season in which the team missed the postseason. Vikings ownership apparently grew tired of spending big and getting no return for their investment. Spielman and Zimmer’s fate was always attached to Kirk Cousins’ success -- or lack thereof. The team will start over in 2022, perhaps moving on from Cousins after years of erratic play in an offense that should be better. Studs Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook make the Vikings an appealing destination for the team’s next general manager and head coach. Prone to big gambles, Spielman usually — emphasis on usually — got the macro details right, but his rosters just didn’t have enough depth the past few seasons.

Glazer joins NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport in reporting Zimmer’s eight-year stint with the Vikes is in serious jeopardy of ending. Relying on too many former head coach’s sons as assistants, Zimmer’s staff and approach have grown stale as he has seemed increasingly worn out explaining the team’s continual narrow losses. Zimmer has had an excellent run in the Twin Cities, but it feels like it is time for both sides to try something new.

Rapoport isn’t dropping any bombshells here as anyone with a passing interest in football knows Zimmer is treading on thin ice. He has failed to make the playoffs in five of his eight seasons as the team’s head coach and will do so again this year. The Vikings have had Kirk Cousins for four years and have topped eight wins just once. Their current setup appears to have reached its ceiling, possibly forcing a coaching change from management. If this is the end of the road for Zimmer, he will go down as having the third-most wins for a Minnesota coach in the franchise’s history.

This is much to coach Mike Zimmer’s dismay. 70 percent of players are in the process and 64.5 percent are fully vaccinated, neither of which is close to the 85 percent threshold needed to relax virus-related restrictions. Notably, Kirk Cousins and third-round rookie QB Kellen Mond are currently on the reserve/COVID-19 list. It’s unclear which players are or aren’t vaxxed, but Minnesota looks like the team most at risk of having a COVID problem this season.

Minnesota officially becomes the 20th team in the past week to have players release a statement through the NFLPA confirming that “most” in the organization will not participate in workouts due to the coronavirus pandemic. More teams are expected to follow suit with only a handful of players around the league showing up to facilities prior to the draft.