Vikings Owner Mark Wilf Releases Statement Supporting Long-Term Future of Mike Zimmer, Rick Spielman
Vikings president and co-owner Mark Wilf released a statement Friday afternoon that should quiet some of the noise around the long-term job security of head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman.
The statement reads: "We value Mike and Rick’s leadership and we have every intent of Mike continuing as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and Rick leading our football operations, next year and beyond.”
It's a vote of confidence from Vikings ownership that comes at a time where questions had begun to swirl around Zimmer and Spielman's futures with the organization. There were reports and rumors that if the Vikings weren't competitive with the Saints this weekend, moving on from Zimmer and/or Spielman was on the table for the franchise.
Now, based on the language of this brief statement, it seems Zimmer and Spielman will retain their roles regardless of the outcome of Sunday's game in New Orleans.
The Vikings have the seventh-best record in the league (58-40-1) since Zimmer became head coach in 2014, and all six of the teams with better records have had less chaotic quarterback situations during that span. He's brought stability and a defensive identity to a team that was one of the NFL's worst from 2010 through 2013.
However, Zimmer has just one playoff win in his first five seasons and is a heavy underdog on Sunday. For whatever reason, his teams have seemed to struggle in big games. For those reasons, and the fact that Kevin Stefanski seems like a lock to be a head coach somewhere next year, Zimmer returning didn't seem like a sure thing.
Spielman has put together some excellent draft classes and helped assemble a talented roster, but it's a roster that still has holes in certain areas (i.e. offensive line). And depending on how you feel about Kirk Cousins, it's a roster that has yet to find the long-term answer at quarterback.
But with this statement, Vikings ownership has made it clear that both men will be back next season and beyond.
