Mike Zimmer was booted out of Minnesota after eight years and the second-highest winning percentage in Vikings coaching history, but his story continues to be written by his former players and the chapters are dark.
The latest stain on Zimmer’s reputation allegedly comes from cornerback Cam Dantzler, whom Zimmer picked in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Dantzler, in an interview with Tyler Dunne of Go Long, said Zimmer “threw me to the side” after he got injured at the start of the 2021 season.
“I don’t talk to guys who are hurt.” Dantzler recalled Zimmer telling him, according to Dunne.
“I’m like, ‘Whoa. OK.’ Those words came out of his mouth,” Dantzler continued, per Dunne. “I’m an outgoing person. People like my personality. I bring joy to the room. I don’t know. He’s an old school type of guy. He wasn’t feeling it.”
Dantzler in this piece says Zimmer told him, "I don't talk to guys who are hurt" when he had a quad issue during the offseason last year. Maybe illustrative of how player health was treated in the recent past. Dantzler's confidence boost has been noticeable this year https://t.co/L9U3m6UKbv
— Matthew Coller (@MatthewColler) October 29, 2022
The wide-ranging interview with Dunne goes much deeper, but Dantzler joins Eric Kendricks, Brian O’Neill, Adam Thielen, Rick Spielman and others who have been critical of Zimmer since his firing in January. Even former Vikings cornerback Terence Newman told Dunne that Zimmer created a “toxic” culture.
And don’t forget the anonymous former Vikings assistant who referred to Zimmer as “Satan” in a previous interview with Dunne.
Kendricks, a key member of the once-vaunted defenses guided by Zimmer, made headlines after Zimmer was fired when he said, “I don’t think that a fear-based organization is the way to go.”
O’Neill suggested there was a disconnect with the players and Zimmer, saying that a “culture shift” would be welcome and that someone saying ‘Hey, how you doing?’ could go a long way.
Former general manager Rick Spielman and Zimmer went a lengthy period of time without talking during Zimmer’s final season, and after both were fired in January Spielman did a media blitz and said Zimmer frequently changing his offensive coordinator made the GM job difficult.
The longer it’s been since Zimmer fired, the longer the list of former colleagues criticizing him gets.
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