Mike Zimmer might no longer be with the Vikings, but a new and surprising detail about the former coach has emerged.
On a recent episode of The Sports Talkers Podcast, Stephen Strom was joined by NFL insider and ProFootballTalk reporter Mike Florio. On the show, Strom asked Florio about a time when a player or coach was angry with him. So, Florio detailed a time earlier this year involving the former coach.
Zimmer, who coached the Minnesota Vikings from 2014-2021, apparently had a lot to say to the NFL insider. None of it was pleasant.
Holy shit @ProFootballTalk told @SStrom_ that Mike Zimmer started angry texting him the night Kirk Cousins was extended, blaming Florio for why he was fired as #Vikings head coach… pic.twitter.com/f3zYdtvy5A
— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) November 10, 2022
Florio began, “The night that the Vikings extended Kirk Cousins again, and I feel horrible, awful, indescribable, unimaginable pain that Mike Zimmer’s gone through with the passing of his son, Adam. I mean, I cannot comprehend, no matter how old your child is, I cannot comprehend what he’s been dealing with. But that night in March of this year, right about the time of the start of free agency, he started sending me some texts. And they were not nice.”
Florio provided an eye-popping detail. “He thought that I was responsible for getting him fired,” said Florio. “That I started the groundswell. And, you know, at a certain point, you can only take so much before you push back. It was spirited, to say the least. We both said what we had to say.”
Don’t expect Zimmer and Florio to exchange Christmas cards this holiday season.