Former #Vikings co-defensive coordinator Adam Zimmer died yesterday at the age of 38, his sister Corri posted on Instagram. pic.twitter.com/8ZyLzgmocR

— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) November 1, 2022

Corri Zimmer’s Instagram Post on Adam Zimmer’s sudden death

I can’t believe I’m writing this. I lost my big brother yesterday. The kindest, sweetest, family loving, sports obsessed soul there ever was. I’ve felt pain like this once before but it’s been a while and I didn’t know I was able to feel like this again. My heart is shattered and it hurts so bad. I don’t know how to juggle being a mom to one year old twin boys and the grief of losing my brother so unexpectedly. I’m so lost, I’m so overwhelmed, I’m so heartbroken.

My brother was one of my best friends, especially after my mom died, we became so close. He was always there for me and always the first to show up and volunteer at my foundation events… I never even had to ask. Always telling me what a good job I did and how proud he was of me. His support and love for me was SO big and I hope he knew how much I loved him. In the last year he told me countless times how he loved watching me be a mom and how proud he was of me. Please pray for our family as we try to navigate through this. Lord, we need your strength now more than ever. Please don’t let us lose faith.

Adam, I love you so much and I will miss you every second of every day until I see you again. Please watch over us and help us be okay.

Corri Zimmer (@lilzimc – Instagram)

Cause Unknown

There have been no details released as to Adam’s cause of death. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Zimmer family as they navigate and cope with such a tragedy.

This blog will be updated if more information is released.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Former Player Calls Out Nepotism

Multiple sources close to the Vikings (including one former player) told the “Defector”, a subscription-based outlet run by the former lead writers for Deadspin, that players inside the locker room point to nepotism when internally discussing Adam Zimmer’s employment with the Vikings.

“No fucking reason [Adam] should be a DC,” a person close to the team told Defector. “Nobody disliked him, but nobody ever thought he would be the coordinator, let’s put it that way.”

No reason, other than the obvious one. “What’s the term—nepotism, right?” said one former Vikings player. He said he and his teammates quickly picked up on the reason “Big Zim” had promoted the coach they called “Little Zim.”

“Everybody knows why Adam is there, they all know,” said the person close to the team, who we’ll call Source A for clarity.

Kalyn Kahler – Defector

Mike Zimmer calls defensive plays during games but allows Adam to call plays during practice, per two sources, and Adam called the defense during parts of this past preseason too. “It’s some cute shit so he can feel some type of way,” the former player said. Patterson, a powerful speaker, is the one who addresses the defense, and at times, the full team. This past April, Patterson was promoted again, this time adding “assistant head coach” to his co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach titles. “Probably to make him feel better,” said a second source close to the team, who we’ll call Source B

Kalyn Kahler – Defector

Who is Adam Zimmer?

According to the Vikings website, Adam graduated from Trinity University (San Antonio, TX) in 2006, where he played safety. Upon graduation, he immediately got a job with the New Orleans Saints. Sean Peyton, as you may know, is a good friend of Mike Zimmer. By 2009, Adam Zimmer was promoted to an official role (assistant LB coach), where he may or may not have helped kill Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre in the 2009 NFC championship game.

That landed him his next NFL coaching job in 2010. It was the same role (with an additional title) in Kansas City. He spent three more years with the Chiefs, away from his father, before making his way to Cincinnati during “Big Zim’s” final year with the Bengals (2013). Assistant LB coach must’ve been filled because he was named “assistant DB coach” instead.

“Little Zim” then followed his dad to Minnesota, where he landed his first job as an NFL position coach (linebackers). That’s where he stayed from 2014-2019, before his promotion to Co-Defensive Coordinator for the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Is Nepotism a Problem?

It’s the question that Kalyn Kahler is trying to answer in her article. The answer, however, is complicated because nepotism is common in many professions, but not always a problem. But for the Minnesota Vikings, it appears to be. If players and others inside the organization take issue with your coaching hierarchy then you’re damn right it’s a problem.

Adam Zimmer isn’t the only accused form of nepotism for the purple in this article. “Source A” also takes a shot at Klint Kubiak, son of retired Vikings OC, Gary Kubiak (who has TWO other kids coaching or scouting somewhere in the NFL).

“You have to achieve at such a high level and you look at Andre Patterson, he has performed at a high level every time and he can’t get a sniff, and Adam just had to stick around,” said Source A. “They aren’t even in the same weight class.”

“Sometimes you see guys that stay too long because they want to set their kid up,” Source A told me. “I think Kubes did that for Klint, get him set up before he walked out the door, even though his health said no.” 

Kalyn Kahler – Defector

Buckle Up

This story dropped the day after the Minnesota Vikings season was put to bed by the division rival Packers. I can only imagine what else is floating around insider circles just waiting to push Mike Zimmer out of town. If I had to take an educated guess, I’d say this is only the beginning of the pile up. We’ll see if Zim makes it to Sunday, at this rate.

Both the Vikings’ offense and defense ranked in the middle or toward the bottom in a lot of NFL categories. Inexperience due to nepotism in the coaching room, especially at the coordinator positions, needs to be investigated by the Wilfs.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

When asked a few weeks ago about why Barr wasn’t practicing, Mike Zimmer told media there was nothing to worry about. A couple weeks later, that turned into “he’s got something that he’s dealing with”. Finally over the weekend, Zim admitted the team’s higher level of concern with Barr’s injury, raising even more red flags.

Today, per Mike’s son and co-defensive coordinator, Adam Zimmer, the Vikings are planning for Anthony Barr’s possible absence in their week one matchup vs the Cincinnati Bengals on September 12.

Not good, Bob.

#Vikings co-DC Adam Zimmer on injured LB Anthony Barr: “Today I can’t tell you whether he’s going to be ready Week 1 or not… Hopefully we’ll have him Week 1.”

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) August 24, 2021

What’s the injury?

We’re still not sure exactly what is ailing Anthony Barr, though insider Darren Wolfson went as far as calling it a “lower-body injury” on his latest episode of “The Scoop” podcast. Over the past week, others have hinted at a groin problem. The pressure to release the injury and its severity, in a more official way, will only build from here.

If Barr cannot go vs the Bengals, Zimmer Jr pointed to an open competition between Troy Dye, Chazz Surratt and Blake Lynch to replace him. All three have played above expectations so far during training camp and in preseason games.

New Zimmer calling plays?

The regular season is bearing down and that means we, once again, must discuss whether or not Mike Zimmer should be calling plays for his defense. The same question is clearly being posed internally, as well. Adam Zimmer told media as much today and said that he has called some plays during preseason games.

The Vikings still aren’t sure who will dial them up when the games matter next month. Much like Chris Tomasson, I’d bet on Zimmer Sr hanging onto his defensive signal caller responsibilities.

Adam Zimmer said he’s had the opportunity to call some defensive plays during the preseason and it’s gone well. Said it hasn’t been decided who will call plays during the regular season. Methinks Mike Zimmer isn’t ready to give it up.

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) August 24, 2021

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan