The Dallas Cowboys found a replacement for Dan Quinn on Monday, agreeing to terms with Mike Zimmer to become defensive coordinator.
Zimmer is a familiar face, having spent 12 years as an assistant with the Cowboys (1994-2006) and the last six as defensive coordinator. He's one of the most respected defensive minds in the league, but one prominent Cowboys fan isn't thrilled with the hire.
It would be so FS1's Skip Bayless thought the Cowboys could have used a “fire starter,” but Zimmer says that's not the case.
“For me, as a fan, when it comes to Mike Zimmer, he's as wholesome as he is, and that's the operative word, but he's as wholesome as he can be,” Bayless said. Said “Undisputed” on Tuesday. “He's not attractive to me. He's not charismatic to me. Meat and potatoes. It might be filet mignon and Yukon gold potatoes, but it's meat and potatoes. And to me, I'm not about him. I covered him when he was the DB coach and he can be as boring as Tuesday night. I’m still missing the fire starter, fire starter, emotional leadership type personality that I thought I was…
“Dan Quinn put his hat on backwards and put him through the motions. There was a pop to his personality that I liked. And now Mike McCarthy is a bump in the sideline log. Therefore, we do not bring such matters to the fore at all. duck [Prescott] I think he has charisma, he's a great guy, and he's very well-liked. But he doesn't have the leadership to ignite a fire in the locker room. ”
Mike Zimmer returns to Cowboys as DC: 'Excited and honored'
Despite his business-minded nature, Zimmer has had great success as an NFL coach. After his first stint in Dallas ended, he spent one season as the Atlanta Falcons' defensive coordinator and then served as the Cincinnati Bengals' defensive coordinator from 2008 to 2013.
His job in Cincinnati eventually led to him taking the head coaching job with the Minnesota Vikings. Zimmer went 72-56 in eight seasons at Minnesota, making the playoffs three times. The Vikings waived him after the 2021 season. He spent the 2022 season as an analyst/consultant at Jackson State and held the same title at Colorado in 2023.
Eighteen years after his first stay in Dallas, Zimmer is “excited and honored” to return to his roots.
“I am excited and honored to return to this great organization,” Zimmer said. ed warder ESPN. “I'm excited to work with Mike McCarthy, whom I greatly admired during my time in the NFC North, and to do whatever I can to help Jones and the Cowboys.”
