Report: Vikings Ownership to Meet and Discuss Futures of Zimmer, Spielman This Week
The Vikings' loss to the Packers last Sunday night secured a second consecutive season with a losing record for the franchise, the first time that has happened since 2013-2014, a period that straddled Mike Zimmer's arrival in Minnesota.
Because this season — which began with high expectations — was such a disappointment, many have speculated about the futures of Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman, both of whom have been in their current roles for at least eight seasons. The logical assumption is that major changes could be coming soon in order to shake things up and go in a different direction.
Opinion: It's Time for the Minnesota Vikings to Fire Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman
However, it sounds like the Vikings' ownership group, led by Zygi and Mark Wilf, has not yet made a final decision on the futures of either Zimmer or Spielman. According to multiple reports, they will meet this week ahead of Sunday's season finale against the Bears to ponder their options, with a focus on the two men leading the organization.
From Chad Graff of The Athletic:
As a second straight disappointing Minnesota Vikings season concludes this weekend without a playoff berth, sources tell The Athletic that franchise ownership is preparing to meet before Sunday’s game to discuss potential changes at the top of the organization and to put together a plan for the coming year. The ownership group, led by Mark and Zygi Wilf, plans to attend the Vikings’ regular-season finale Sunday when the team hosts the Chicago Bears. But they want to move swiftly with whatever their decision is after the season, potentially making a move as soon as Monday.
The Wilfs’ discussions are expected to center around Spielman and Zimmer, who will coach against the Bears on Sunday, with the understanding that once those decisions are made, they can move on to other predicaments, namely whether Kirk Cousins will return as the quarterback in 2022.
Judd Zulgad of SKOR North also reported that the Wilfs are meeting this week to discuss their plans.
There are still several different directions that ownership could go. Graff laid out five in his breakdown of the situation:
- Fire Zimmer, reassign Spielman
- Fire Zimmer, keep Spielman
- Keep Zimmer, fire/reassign Spielman
- Fire both Zimmer and Spielman
- Keep both with major changes elsewhere
My speculative view of the situation is that Zimmer is more likely to be fired than Spielman. Two consecutive losing seasons and just two playoff wins in eight years could spell doom for the aging head coach, particularly because his defense has been the primary culprit for the team's struggles over the past two seasons. Zimmer's outdated view of offensive football and struggles with in-game management could also be factors the Wilfs discuss.
One thing I find interesting is that both Graff and Zulgad have discussed the possibility of Spielman being reassigned to a different role, a la John Elway in Denver. That would mean keeping Spielman around but giving him a new title and stripping him of his say as the final decision-maker. It could be a way to go in a new direction while also maintaining a relationship with someone who has been with the Vikings for 16 years and is apparently close with the Wilfs.
So if I had to guess, that's what I would go with at the moment. Zimmer is fired, Spielman gets a new title but remains with the organization, and the next step is to hire a GM who will be a leading voice in the search for a new head coach.
But again, that's just one of many options. There's a chance Spielman sticks around as GM with Zimmer gone. There's a chance — although this one would be very surprising — that Zimmer stays as head coach and Spielman is fired. Vikings fans won't like it, but there's even a chance they both stick around and changes are only made to Zimmer's staff and at quarterback.
We should learn a lot on Monday or shortly afterwards.
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