Mike Zimmer Hospitalised: An Update on the Vikings Coach’s Recovery from Eye Surgery
Mike Zimmer, the Minnesota Vikings’ head coach, needed emergency eye surgery on November 30 due to a detached retina. It kept him out of the Week 13 game against the Dallas Cowboys, but he has since returned to the squad.
Zimmer told reporters following Week 14’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars that he will need to have another eye operation after the season.
On December 6, Zimmer told Dan Barreiro of KFAN (h/t Justin Gaard of KFAN) “that there is no ‘bubble’ in his eye that would prevent him from flying” with the team.
Zimmer noted that his eye will be checked weekly for the next few months. However, Zimmer stated that he has no limitations in terms of what he can and cannot accomplish following surgery.
“I feel I’ve let an awful lot of people down…because there’s a lot of people counting on me,” Zimmer told KFAN later that day, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.
On December 5, the Vikings reported that “Zimmer has returned to his coaching duties and is expected to travel with the team to Jacksonville for this weekend’s game.”
On December 6, Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune published a photo of Zimmer during practice:
Ben Goessling of ESPN.com reported on December 4 that Zimmer had a second operation on December 2.
According to Vikings general manager Rick Spielman, special teams coach Mike Priefer will lead the club against the Cowboys on December 1. Spielman stated that he thought this was the greatest option for the team because it “frees up coordinators.”
“This morning, Coach Zimmer finally realised how significant this injury is,” Spielman told reporters. The general manager also stated that Zimmer was “fine” during the week, but his vision deteriorated on November 30.
Spielman declined to tell reporters whether there was any risk that Zimmer might suffer irreversible visual loss as a result of the surgery.
Zimmer had already been diagnosed with a damaged retina, necessitating surgery in early November. He experienced vision problems during the team’s Week 8 game against the Chicago Bears and then scratched his eye, prompting team doctors to refer him for additional examination.
The 60-year-old coach is in his third year at Minnesota, where he has a 25-20 record. The Vikings started the season 5-0 but have faltered in recent weeks, losing six of their last eight games.