Vikings rookie given the golden ticket to success from Mike Zimmer

On Thursday, Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer described rookie wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette with a word that he only saves for special players.

During his multiple decades of coaching in the NFL, Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer has developed a reputation of sharing his true thoughts on a subject no matter who disagrees with his opinion.

Zimmer has never been afraid to criticize a player in the public eye, and while it’s gotten him in some trouble in the past (see Sharrif Floyd), the guys in his locker room typically appreciate his honesty.

On the flip side, if Zimmer is praising one of his players, you know that it’s actually worth something and he’s not just delivering some boring coachspeak. Recently, the Vikings head coach has been sharing some positive thoughts about a specific rookie wide receiver on the team’s roster.

Minnesota Vikings rookie Ihmir Smith-Marsette receives a significant compliment from Mike Zimmer

During his tenure with Minnesota, there has been one label that Zimmer has placed on the guys he believes stand out from the rest on his team’s roster and that would be a “good player.”

When the Vikings head coach calls someone a good player, everyone should make sure they take note for the future. Over the years, Zimmer has placed this label on some of the best to put on a Minnesota uniform in the last few seasons, including Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks, Justin Jefferson, and Cameron Dantzler.

On Thursday, Vikings rookie wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette became the latest to earn the “good player” label from the team’s head coach.

Drafted in the fifth round by Minnesota earlier this year, Smith-Marsette is hoping to stand out enough during training camp and the upcoming preseason to earn a spot on the team’s final 2021 roster.

While Zimmer has also mentioned he would like to see the rookie improve on special teams, Smith-Marsette earning the “good player” label from the head coach sounds like the chances are high for the young receiver to make an impact for the Vikings sooner than later.