Longtime Vikings DC Lands New Coaching Job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are preparing for life after Tom Brady, and not only could that lead to some changes in player personnel, but it’s also resulting in a few changes on the coaching staff as well. One of these coaching changes came on Tuesday as it was reported that longtime Vikings DC George Edwards would be joining the Buccaneers for the 2023 season as their outside linebackers coach.
Edwards spent six seasons as the co-defensive coordinator for the Vikings from 2014-19, joining Mike Zimmer’s coaching staff for the first years of his head coaching stint. Under the combo of Edwards and Zimmer, the Vikings ranked among the top 10 defenses in terms of points allowed in all five seasons from 2015-19. In the duo’s first season together during 2014, the Vikings ranked 11th in the category, narrowly missing out on a clean sweep of top 10 seasons.
Minnesota also made the playoffs three times during this six-year stretch (2015, 2017, 2019), and won two playoff games, each against the New Orleans Saints. Of course, 2017 was the “Minneapolis Miracle”, and then, 2019 was their Wild Card overtime victory on the road in the Superdome.
Following 2019, Edwards left the Vikings to join the Dallas Cowboys as a senior defensive assistant. He has spent each of the past three seasons there, but he was surprisingly let go by Dallas this offseason. Since Edwards left the Vikings, Minnesota has ranked 29th, 24th, and 30th in points allowed in the past three seasons.
Dallas surprisingly let Edwards go following the 2022 season, and it now allows him to be reunited with Todd Bowles, as the tweet from Greg Auman pointed out. The two of them spent time together in both Cleveland and Miami.
Edwards got his NFL coaching career started in 1998 with the Cowboys where he spent 1998-2001 as the linebackers coach. Prior to joining Minnesota, he also had roles in Washington (2002-03), Cleveland (2004), Miami (2005-09, 2012-13), and Buffalo (2010-11).
Now, the 56-year-old coach joins a Buccaneers team that ranked 13th in defensive DVOA during 2022. With some impressive players on that side of the ball, Edwards should be able to continue his coaching success in Tampa Bay alongside Bowles.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.
