Adam Zimmer is a Candidate to Replace George Edwards as Vikings Defensive Coordinator

With Edwards not returning and Jerry Gray going to Cleveland, could there be two Zimmers leading the Vikings defense next season?

Mike Zimmer's son Adam Zimmer is a serious candidate to become the next defensive coordinator for the Vikings, according to Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL. The younger Zimmer has been the linebackers coach in Minnesota since his dad was hired as head coach in 2014.

Multiple sources tell @SiriusXMNFL that Adam Zimmer is a candidate to become next @Vikings defensive coordinator working under his dad Mike. Adam has served as MIN LBs coach the past 6 seasons & helped develop two good ones in Eric Kendricks & Anthony Barr

— Alex Marvez (@alexmarvez) January 13, 2020

It was announced on Sunday night that George Edwards, whose contract was up after this season, would not be returning as defensive coordinator after six seasons in the position. "It was probably a situation where it was probably best [to move on]," Mike Zimmer said at his season-ending press conference on Monday morning.

Marvez was the first to report – all the way back on Christmas day – that Edwards was not expected to return as DC, so his report about Adam Zimmer carries some weight.

When the news about Edwards became official, several in-house candidates came to mind as possibilities for his replacement. Zimmer was one, as were defensive backs coach Jerry Gray and defensive line coach Andre Patterson. However, news broke on Monday that Gray is leaving Minnesota, perhaps heading to Cleveland along with Kevin Stefanski. Patterson remains a possibility, but it seems like Zimmer is now the prohibitive favorite.

Zimmer has also spent time as an assistant coach with the Bengals, Chiefs, and Saints.

As the Vikings attempt to fill both of their coordinator vacancies (and find a new DBs coach) going forward, there's a real chance they end up with a pair of father-son duos leading both sides of the ball. It could be Klint Kubiak serving as OC under the guidance of his father Gary, and Adam Zimmer as DC while Mike continues to run the defense.

Finalized decisions on both spots may not come for a couple weeks.

"It may be by the end of the week, but it may be a couple weeks," Mike Zimmer said. "I want to make sure the fit is right. Those guys over there, they do an outstanding job. I love the way that they work together and communicate, and so if we do bring somebody in from the outside, I want to make sure that it’s the correct fit."