Mike Zimmer says Vikings aren’t looking ahead to the 2021 season

The focus for the Minnesota Vikings is still to get back on track this season.

There are still 10 games left on the schedule for the Minnesota Vikings this season and despite only earning one win so far, the team is giving up hope just yet.

With the recent trade that sent Yannick Ngakoue to the Baltimore Ravens, most automatically assumed that this move was a sign of the Vikings throwing in the towel for the current campaign.

But Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer let it be known on Monday that this isn’t the mentality for any member of the organization at this moment in time and any transaction the team makes is to benefit them during the current season.

Minnesota Vikings not giving up on the current season yet

During his virtual press conference on Monday, Zimmer was asked about the upcoming trade deadline and if any potential moves will be made to get a head start in improving the Vikings’ roster for the 2021 campaign. The Minnesota head coach made it pretty clear that the team is still focused on turning things around during the current season.

"“We’re not looking to 2021. What we’re looking to do is (figure out) what is the best thing for our football team this year and moving forward.”"

This is definitely how Zimmer should be thinking right now, especially since a poor finish to the year for the Vikings could result in the head coach losing his job. So it’s understandable why Zimmer isn’t looking ahead past the task he currently has in front of him.

But as for Minnesota’s front office, any decisions they make during the next few weeks should probably be made to potentially improve the team for the 2021 season.

As much as the Vikings would still like to make the playoffs this year, they also have to be realistic. Despite the fact that Minnesota has been able to hold their own against some of the best teams in the NFL this season, they still currently have one of the worst records in the league at 1-5.

In the history of the NFL, only three teams have ever gone on to make the playoffs after starting their season with five losses in their first six games. The Vikings haven’t really shown enough this year to convince anyone that they can become the fourth 1-5 team in league history to turn things around and make the postseason.

Even with 10 games left to play, decisions to improve Minnesota’s chance for success in 2021 should already be a part of the team’s plans for the rest of the year, whether Zimmer agrees or not.