After Xavier Rhodes had a down year last year for the Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer has made it clear he wants the former Pro Bowler to earn his contract.

Speaking at the NFL owners meetings, Zimmer said that Rhodes needs to play better this season, and he is going to make sure that happens.

“I just don’t think he played as well as he can play,” Zimmer said via the Star Tribune. “He needs to play up to his ability level. We’re paying him a lot of money. He needs to play up to that contract.”

Zimmer doesn't think that Rhodes had a decline in skills or that he is a worse cornerback rather he thinks Rhodes need to get back to the basics and focus on the little techniques.

One of the other issues that Rhodes had last season was injuries. It seemed almost every game he went down with an injury and then would be questionable for the next game. Rhodes knows that isn't something that can be controlled, but hopes he can stay healthier this upcoming season.

“You can’t control injuries in this game. You just can’t,” he said on Dec. 31. “I tried this season to do the most, but it happens, so I’ve just got to be better at maintaining my composure, not doing too much, maybe I was overdoing it, overworking my body this year, and one injury happened, I was just trying to get back on the field as fast as possible and it caused another one, so maybe that was a lesson learned for me to not do too much when I have an injury lingering.”

If Rhodes can get back to the play of his few previous years, the Vikings defense is going to be very strong again this year.