According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Minnesota Vikings fired general manager Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer on Monday.
Minnesota subsequently made their exit known.
Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf released a statement saying, “We appreciate Rick and Mike’s commitment to the team’s on-field success, their passion for making a positive impact in our community, and their dedication to players, coaches, and staff.” “We feel it is time for new leadership to enhance our squad so we can consistently contend for championships, even if these decisions are not easy. We send our best wishes to Rick, Mike, and their families.
Our comprehensive search for a new general manager and head coach will begin immediately and will be led internally. We are determined to have sustained success and bring Vikings fans the Super Bowl championships they expect and deserve.
Before the season finale, it was thought that, after eight years, the Vikings would let go of Zimmer. Spielman has spent 16 years in Minnesota, so his firing suggests the Wilfs were looking for a fresh start following yet another poor campaign.
The Vikings had consecutive sub-.500 seasons for the first time since Zimmer was hired in 2014, which led to his resignation. Among the 32 NFL clubs, Zimmer had the seventh-longest coaching tenure, going 72-56-1 during his time in Minnesota.
“I have devoted my entire being to the players and this organization. Excellent assistant coaches who put up a lot of effort have served me well. We didn’t finish it, and I apologize,” Zimmer said in a statement on Monday. This place is really special because of the fans. On Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium, it’s an unbelievable atmosphere. I’ll miss coaching the players, some who have been with me for all eight years. I want to thank the players who welcomed me in 2014 and believed in me that I could lead them to be great
The coach overcame some disastrous situations in Minnesota, including Teddy Bridgewater’s catastrophic injury and navigating the end of Adrian Peterson’s tenure with the Vikings.
The highlight of the Zimmer era came in 2017. Armed with the NFL’s No. 1-ranked defense, the Vikings compiled a 13-3 record with backup QB Case Keenum and secured the No. 2 seed. The game known as the “Minnesota Miracle” will forever be etched in Vikings lore after Keenum hit Stefon Diggs with a 61-yard touchdown pass in the final seconds to beat the New Orleans Saints, 29-24, in the Divisional Round. However, Zimmer’s memorable run ended in the NFC Championship Game with a 38-7 blowout loss to a Philadelphia Eagles team that went on to win Super Bowl LII.
The Vikings still haven’t recovered, winning one playoff game since that Miracle and authoring back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in the coach’s tenure. It’s apropos that after Zimmer helped immediately turn around a league-worst defense upon becoming the Vikings head coach in 2014, he ends his tenure with one of the worst defenses in the NFL in 2021.
The Zimmer era will be remembered as always good but not good enough.
