The Dallas Cowboys needed to redo their defense after Dan Quinn took the Washington Commanders head coaching job. While it seemed like a massive win when Jerry Jones brought former Cowboys DC and Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer back to town, some recent comments from a Zimmer interview give a look into how tyrannical he can be when given power.
Zimmer was the subject of an explosive interview with the Minneapolis Star-Tribune in which he took aim at many of his former Vikings players and executives. Between taking shots at cornerback Kris Boyd after being called out and voicing his displeasure for former GM Rick Spielman, one quote stood out.
Zimmer refused to address any of his Vikings players after he was fired, saying it was their poor performance that led to this firing. There's being a tough coach, and then there's going way off the deep end by being this combative, even as he left the building.
Zimmer's style is further exemplified by quarterback Kellen Mond, whose selection irritated Zimmer to the point he left the draft room, saying he never spoke to his head coach once in Minnesota. Could this cause a problem in Dallas?
Cowboys DC Mike Zimmer makes controversial comments about Vikings players
Zimmer is by no means a lousy coach. He served as a Cowboys coach for 12 years, helping Deion Sanders and the defensive backs during their 1990s glory years before becoming defensive coordinator under Dave Campo and Bill Parcells. Zimmer got results as Vikings head coach.
Zimmer went 72-56-1 as Vikings head coach, made the playoffs three times, and won at least seven games every season. However, in a league where it is more important to relate to players than ever before, an old-school, gruff coach like Zimmer could rum some big names the wrong way.
Despite his past success as a defensive coach, no one in the NFL was willing to give Zimmer a job after Minnesota parted ways. Two seasons as a consultant with Sanders at Jackson State and Colorado kept him employed. Could it be that the NFL outside of Dallas is simply tired of him?
The Cowboys are banking on a no-nonsense approach winning the day in 2024, with Jones going back to one of his most trusted defensive coaches in Zimmer. Like Zimmer's Vikings teams, the result will either be a hard-nosed team that eats nails for breakfast led by a star like Micah Parsons or a fractured locker room that underperforms.
