To fill their defensive coordinator opening after Dan Quinn left, the Dallas Cowboys are expected to hire former Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer.
It's been more than two years since the last time we saw Mike Zimmer on an NFL field as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings.
Zimmer has been out of the league since the Vikings let him go during the 2022 offseason, but this year, he'll reportedly be making his return to the NFL as the new Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator, according to NFL Media's Tom Pelissero on Thursday.
This will be Zimmer's second stint as the Cowboys defensive coordinator, as he previously held the role for seven seasons between 2000 and 2006.
Are the Minnesota Vikings facing Mike Zimmer and the Dallas Cowboys in 2024
Unfortunately, Minnesota won't get to go up against their former head coach during the 2024 season unless the Cowboys and Vikings meet in the playoffs.
But Minnesota fans won't have to wait much longer if they want to see their team go up against Dallas and their former head coach.
If Zimmer is still the Cowboys' defensive coordinator in 2025, then we will get to see him face his former team, as the Vikings will be taking on every member of the NFC East during the 2025 season.
The game will be played in Dallas, however, so the former Minnesota head coach won't get to experience what it feels like to be on the other side of a deafening crowd inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
Despite the fact that the Cowboys aren't on Minnesota's regular-season schedule, plenty of Vikings fans will likely be paying attention to what Zimmer does with the Dallas defense during the 2024 campaign.
It will be interesting to see how the former Vikings head coach utilizes some of the Cowboys' most notable defensive players like pass rusher Micah Parsons and cornerback Trevon Diggs. Can he get them to play at an even higher level than they have during the last few seasons?
Even though things didn't end on a high note for Zimmer in Minnesota, it's easy to admit that he is still a very good defensive coach, and Dallas is likely going to benefit from his addition to their coaching staff.