It’s been a while since many Minnesota Vikings fans have heard about Mike Zimmer. The former head coach had one of the most interesting and polarizing coaching stints in franchise history and could be on the verge of returning to the NFL.

Now 69 years old, Zimmer took the 2025 NFL season off after being the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys in 2024.

There were questions about the former Vikings coach possibly retiring, but that might not be in the cards for the longtime coach.

Former Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer reportedly met with Denver Broncos

Mike Klis of 9NEWS and The Fan recently shared on X that former Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer has met with the Denver Broncos about the possibility of landing a senior coaching position within that franchise.

“Per source, Broncos visited last week with veteran coach Mike Zimmer about a senior coaching position. Nothing imminent but there is mutual interest. Zimmer has been a football coach since 1979 and started his NFL career in 1994.”

That is interesting because of the history between the Vikings and Broncos’ head coach Sean Payton. Despite the disdain that much of the purple and gold have for Payton, he and Zimmer are good friends who spent time together in Dallas and praised Zimmer’s ability to teach and develop players. Payton also worked with Zimmer’s son, Adam.

While it would make sense to add an experienced coach like Mike Zimmer to Denver’s coaching staff, some Vikings fans may not feel great about the man who taunted Minnesota at the 2024 NFL Draft and mocked the SKOL chant on the sidelines working with a former Vikings head coach.

Zimmer has coached in six different decades, going all the way back to when he was a defensive assistant with the University of Missouri in 1979 and started his NFL coaching in 1994 as a defensive assistant for the Dallas Cowboys.

Zimmer didn’t join Minnesota until he was hired as the head coach in 2014. He kept that job until 2022, when he and general manager Rick Spielman were relieved of their duties, and the dysfunction in the organization was unearthed.

Zimmer is an old-school coach, but there is no denying his ability to get the most out of defenders, particularly defensive backs, and specializing in the nickel defense and creating unique blitzing opportunities.

This would be a great opportunity for the veteran coach to prove that he is still able to be an asset for a franchise in the ever-evolving world of the NFL.