4 Minnesota Vikings who are happy the 2020 season is over

Mike Zimmer – HC

Mike Zimmer has seen it all throughout his storied career. The respected head coach deserves an endless amount of credit for turning things around after the bye week when all hope seemed lost for the Vikings, even though it didn’t end with another postseason berth.

A period of rest and reflection will be welcomed with open arms by Zimmer, who endured his fair share of bad luck regarding injuries to key personnel this past season.

There was also the departure of several established veterans during the 2020 offseason that saw the roster look completely different – especially on defense – and this was always going to come with its share of growing pains.

Zimmer was rightfully given a new contract for all he’s done for the organization in recent years. But it’s hard to look at Minnesota’s efforts in the 2020 season and not come to the conclusion that much more will be needed to return to contention next time around.

This is a critical offseason for the Vikings. They face some big decisions in order to remain competitive despite their expected financial turmoil and the front office needs to bring the right players to Minnesota with their bounty of 2021 NFL Draft selections.

There is also Zimmer’s age to consider. He isn’t getting any younger and at 64-years-old, the coach is quickly coming to the end of the road.

The strain and frustration began to show late in the campaign, especially with an underperforming defense that didn’t fit the mold of Zimmer teams from the recent past. So it will be interesting to see how this is addressed in the coming months.