Mike Zimmer has released his first statement after getting fired by the Minnesota Vikings, thanking the organization, the players and his staff while also apologizing for their failures during his tenure.
The Vikings made the decision to remove Zimmer along with general manager Rick Spielman on Monday after finishing the 2021 campaign with an 8-9 record. They did win three of their last five games–including their 31-17 victory in the season finale in Week 18–to finish second in the NFC North, but their efforts were not enough to propel them to the postseason.
It marked the second straight year (and fifth overall) the Vikings missed the postseason under Zimmer in his eight-year tenure, leading to the Minnesota ownership to clean the house and start anew.
Zimmer understands he failed to meet expectations with the Vikings, and that much was clear in his statement about his firing.
“I have given my heart and soul to this organization and to the players. I have had outstanding assistant coaches who have worked tirelessly. I’m sorry we didn’t get it done,” Zimmer wrote, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
For what it's worth, Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen was supportive of Mike Zimmer after his firing. While the farthest the team got was the NFC Championship in 2017, Thielen believes Zimmer left the Minnesota franchise in a better place than when he arrived.
Statement from former #Vikings coach Mike Zimmer, who was relieved of his duties this morning: “I have given my heart and soul to this organization and to the players. I have had outstanding assistant coaches who have worked tirelessly. I’m sorry we didn’t get it done.” pic.twitter.com/wPOjJ1yKnX
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 10, 2022
It remains to be seen what's next for the Vikings, but they certainly have more decisions to make when it comes to their roster, coaching staff and front office.
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