Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer gives one year update on eye

CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 09: Head coach Mike Zimmer of the Minnesota Vikings watches the action from the sidelines during the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on October 9, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 09: Head coach Mike Zimmer of the Minnesota Vikings watches the action from the sidelines during the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on October 9, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

It has been one year since Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer had emergency eye surgery and he gave the media an update on how his vision.

Last season, the Minnesota Vikings were forced to play one game against the Dallas Cowboys without the services of their head coach, who had to undergo emergency surgery for a detached retina in his right eye on November 30, 2016.

That game against Dallas ended up being coached by special teams coach Mike Priefer, but Mike Zimmer was able to return the next week to help lead the Vikings to a victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Florida.

Now that one year has passed since the procedure, Zimmer gave an update to the media when asked during a press conference according to the official website of the Vikings:

"“I don’t think it will get any better,” Zimmer said in response to a question from a reporter about 8 feet away in a semicircle around Zimmer. “I don’t think it will get any worse.”"

More from The Viking Age

This is good news considering problems like this can come up at just about any time. Zimmer seems confident that he will not suffer any kind of setback in the future, and is fairly pleased with his vision.

"“I can see you, but you’re a little cloudy,” Zimmer explained to the questioner, Brian Murphy of the Pioneer Press. “I have some blind spots in my eye, so when I look and I’m reading the chart, I have to [squint]. Some days, I get it 60/80, some days it’s 20/5. They count it if you get a couple of letters on that line, but I kind of have to peek. I have to have a contact in, too.”"

Zimmer can be seen on the sidelines wearing his glasses these days, but that won’t slow him down in any way. However, his hobbies and activities have needed some adjustments, especially hunting.

"“I can’t hunt with it. I have to hunt left-handed because I can’t see the peephole in my bow,” Zimmer said. “The rifle, I can’t see distance, so I have to, I use a scope and I shoot lefty now. The clay birds are the hardest because you’re left-handed and it’s opposite.”"

Next: Bud Grant praises Mike Zimmer

It is great to hear that everything is going well with Mike Zimmer’s eye and that it shouldn’t have much of an effect on his ability to perform head coaching duties for the Minnesota Vikings. The team will need his services if they hope to continue an excellent season.