Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson
The Minnesota Vikings have an opportunity this Sunday night to beat the Green Bay Packers, get a little help from the Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints, and cruise into the playoffs.
All they have to do is defeat the Packers in a game with single-digit weather temperature. Pretty simple, right?
Probably not. Minnesota will likely lose to Green Bay, virtually eliminating themselves from the 2021 postseason. And that will mean head coach Mike Zimmer missed the postseason in five out of eight tries since 2014.
That is a catalyst for change.
Barring a last-minute, Thielenless playoff push from the Vikings, the franchise will likely hire a new coach for the first time in eight years. According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, the Vikings job would be the most desirable gig in all the land from the theoretical pool of teams needing new skippers.
Minnesota is mere whiskers away from a winning record – that might even be understated – had the team effectuated the “little things” in games more astutely. Fourteen out of 15 Vikings games in 2021 have been decided by eight points or fewer, so the team is just on the brink of beating all comers.
But the problem isn’t they’re not actually winning the close games.
The Vikings have the roster talent, patience from ownership, and veteran quarterback necessary to be a very good team per Barnwell. And that makes the job intriguing for coaching candidates. Barnwell outlined the seven most alluring jobs for the 2022 offseason, saying this about the Vikings:
“The Vikings have a lot to offer a possible new coach. Zimmer is a better coach than some frustrated fans might think, but he has made it eight seasons while winning a total of two playoff games. Coaching candidates will notice that and value the Minnesota job accordingly. The Jags might have Lawrence, but the Vikings have enough on their roster to compete as early as 2022. Unless Zimmer can sweep the Packers and push this team back on a trajectory toward the postseason, coaches might view an opening in Minnesota as the most desirable job on the market.”
Immediately in the offseason, general manager Rick Spielman (assuming he isn’t canned as well) must decide on the future of Kirk Cousins – extend him by a year or two or start fresh with Kellen Mond or an unnamed 2022 rookie passer. After that decision, the new coach will have young building blocks like Justin Jefferson, Irv Smith Jr., Christian Darrisaw, Brian O’Neill, Camryn Bynum, Cameron Dantzler, Armon Watts, etc., to groom. Plans for players like Adam Thielen, Dalvin Cook, Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks, and Danielle Hunter are unclear as of late December. If the Vikings rebuild, some of those men will leave. Should Spielman hire a new coach to win with the current roster, not many players have to depart.
Regardless, the next coach inherits a lucrative gig. Justin Jefferson alone is a flashy marquee to put butts in seats – and head coaches in position to succeed.
Now, Vikings fans await the list of interviewee candidates – assuming the franchise actually pulls the trigger on Zimmer’s exodus.
The Denver Broncos are considered the second-most desirable job in 2022.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).