Now a free agent, former first-round pick Sharrif Floyd says Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer tarnished his name as a person and a player with comments he made to the media.
In his Instagram post, Floyd posted screen shots of Zimmer’s quotes from the 2016 season, when Floyd was dealing with a knee injury.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgtXfyHn241
Zimmer was quoted in Sept. 2016 saying the oft-injured Floyd was “kind of out of sight out of mind,” and that he’s “used to” Floyd being on the injury report.
The words clearly haven’t been sitting well with Floyd.
“These words were used to slander my name, tarnish me as a person and a player,” says Floyd. “So easy to forget the kinds of years a [sic] kid has had when your support system has so much BS [sic] to say about you.”
Floyd added that Zimmer made the comments just two days before he had arthroscopic surgery on his knee, limiting him to one game that season.
Time to start living in those who love on me. #nomorefakelove my kids and my girl. Any objections cool didn’t think so.
— Sharrif Floyd (@sharriffloyd) March 24, 2018
Months later, it was reported that a nerve controlling his quadriceps was disrupted during the operation, and the damage was career-threatening.
Maybe Zimmer didn’t know about the nerve damage at the time, but in November 2016 he was asked why Floyd hadn’t been placed on injured reserve and his response was once again blunt.
“We didn’t think it would be this long, to be honest with you,” Zimmer said, via the Pioneer Press “We didn’t think it was going to be, like, six years worth of hurt.”
Related:
Zimmer recently questioned all three of his 2017 quarterbacks – Case Keenum, Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater – and then let them sign elsewhere as free agents in favor of adding Kirk Cousins.
