8 realistic candidates to be the Vikings next head coach
By Adam Patrick
Jeff Rodgers
- Age: 43-years-old
- Current Role: Arizona Cardinals assistant head coach/special teams coordinator
With a 10-2 record, the Cardinals are arguably the best team in the NFL this season after the first 13 weeks, and Jeff Rodgers has played a significant role in their success.
A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, Rodgers’ special teams units are typically some of the best in the league when he’s leading the way. With him also being an assistant head coach in Arizona, he’s clearly been able to make an impact for the organization in other areas outside of special teams.
With the Cardinals’ success this season, Rodgers is likely going to get some head coaching interest from teams around the league, and the Vikings could be among those that would like to meet with him.
Byron Leftwich
- Age: 41-years-old
- Current Role: Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have certainly benefitted from the addition of quarterback Tom Brady during the 2020 offseason. But a bunch of the team’s success during the last two seasons can also be attributed to the work done by Byron Leftwich on the sidelines.
If people want to point to Brady and say that he’s the biggest reason for the Bucs’ recent success, that’s fine. But Leftwich has also been able to learn from Tampa head coach Bruce Arians and arguably the best quarterback in the history of the NFL about what it takes to run a successful franchise in the league today.