Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman Are Back to Working on The Same “Team”

Mike Zimmer
Oct 3, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer looks on from the sidelines in the second quarter against Cleveland Browns at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports

For eight seasons, Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman worked together for the Minnesota Vikings. At their best, they led the Vikings to the NFC Championship Game. They were also crucial in seeing the team make the playoffs a couple more times and put forth some truly excellent defenses.

Unfortunately, the past two seasons have gone poorly. Both were fired following an 8-9 2022 season. There were all kinds of rumors suggesting that Zim and Spielman didn’t get along.

It’s this backdrop that makes their shared status on The 33rd Team’s About Us page notable. Apparently, both are working for the site.

Per the website, The 33rd Team is the “the premier football Think Tank” that features “former NFL Executives and Coaches with over 2,000 combined years of experience in the NFL. Providing first-hand insight and knowledge unavailable anywhere else, The 33rd Team transcends traditional football analysis and offers a behind-the-scenes perspective on the latest news and analysis, as well as life in the NFL on and off the field.”

Mike Tannenbaum and Joe Banner are the founders. Both are former NFL executives. Below those top two are contributors that include names such as Bill Parcells, Bill Cowher, and Mike Vick. Another pair of names will stand out to Vikings fans: Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer.

Now, it’s entirely possible to be a contributing author/analyst for the same site without interacting too much. It’s also plausible that much of the media chatter about their divide was an exaggeration of how bad things really were. Even still, it’s notable that both are listed in the About Us section of the website.

Forced to guess, I’d say both get jobs in the NFL before too long. Each has a long history in the game, so it won’t be surprising to see them considered for future roles. If that occurs, though, it would still be surprising to see Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman working for the same team. Alas, stranger things have happened.

I, for one, will be looking forward to their work on The 33rd Team.



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