Minnesota Vikings legend Paul Krause recently spoke out against former head coach Mike Zimmer, and his opinion of him was less than favorable.
Before Harrison Smith became a menace wearing the No. 22 on his jersey for the Minnesota Vikings, Paul Krause made the number famous by setting the all-time NFL career record for interceptions. A career that saw Krause compete in all four of Minnesota’s appearances in the Super Bowl, his legacy is enshrined in not only the Vikings Ring of Honor, but in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well.
Krause, however, recently shared his displeasure with former Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer and the team’s defensive performance in a recent interview with KFAN’s Dan Cole. When asked about the defense and Zimmer’s approach, Krause stated the following.
"“Basically, the last couple years the Vikings defense got beat deep. And quite a few times. I told Zimmer, I says, ‘you got the best strong safety in football [in Harrison Smith], leave him there and let him play strong safety and then find somebody that can’t get beat deep.'”"
Krause added that Zimmer being touted as a defensive guru does not do anything for him.
What the words of Paul Krause mean for the Minnesota Vikings going forward
The Flint, Michigan native is not the only one to criticize Zimmer since his departure from Minnesota. Recently, current Vikings cornerback Kris Boyd shared his displeasures from the Zimmer era, and how it affected players and coaches alike.
While Zimmer will go down as the third all-time winningest head coach in Minnesota history, he seemingly lost supporters along the way. Now, with him gone, legends and current players aren’t afraid to share their thoughts on the former head coach.
Going forward, this will be the biggest challenge new head coach Kevin O’Connell will have to face in his debut season. Gaining the trust of the locker room, but also being accountable for both sides of the ball. A large task nevertheless, but one that is needed if the Vikings are to improve from their 8-9 season in 2021.