Minnesota Vikings: Could a Mike Zimmer trade actually happen?

Could the Minnesota Vikings actually try to trade head coach Mike Zimmer?

While going through their annual bye week in Week 7, the Minnesota Vikings have a chance to evaluate the entire organization before the upcoming NFL trade deadline in early November while deciding what to do moving forward as a team.

Not only has Minnesota started the 2020 season with a disappointing record of 1-5 overall, but the Vikings are still in a tough salary cap situation that might persuade the front office to start selling off some pieces to gain future assets and create room in salary moving forward.

The process of doing just that started prior to the Week 7 slate of games in the league, when Minnesota traded away defensive end Yannick Ngakoue less than half of a season after trading for him prior to the start of the regular season.

That move might only be the beginning of a selling effort on the side of the Vikings, with multiple players looking like prime candidates to ship out of Minnesota before the Nov. 3 deadline.

When it comes to trading personnel away, many often think of players, which is understandable because that’s what usually takes place between teams. But a recent story written by Pro Football Focus’s Brad Spielberger brings up the question of whether or not the Viking coach could be on the market as well.

Spielberger brought up the question of whether or not Minnesota could look at a deal for Zimmer, which can happen in the NFL although very rarely does.

"“The two teams (Zimmer) has an extensive history with — the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys — both could be interested given their current coaching situations,” Spielberger wrote. “With both clubs potentially looking to sign Zimmer after the 2020 season, perhaps one realizes it shouldn’t wait until then to make a move. In a way, Zimmer’s recent extension probably helps facilitate this.”"

Trading of head coaches is very rare in the NFL and in professional sports in general, although it does happen and has in the past.

In the NFL, the likes of John Gruden, Bill Belichick and Bill Parcells are some notable names who have been traded to other teams. Gruden is one of the more recent head coaches to be dealt, when he was traded from the Oakland Raiders to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002 for two first-round draft picks, two second-round draft picks and $8 million.

The most recent professional sports head coach to be traded was in the NBA, when the Boston Celtics traded Doc Rivers to the Los Angeles Clippers for a first-round draft pick.

The bottom line: trading a head coach is doable. Rare, but it happens. And Minnesota might look at becoming the latest team to do so with Zimmer.

Leading up to the 2020 season, the Vikings extended the contract of Zimmer by three years, which ties him to the team through the 2023 season. Minnesota could, of course, fire him either way if it wanted to make a change at head coach, but a trade could allow the team to get something in return rather than just eat the contract he is owed.

It’s weird to think about a head coach being traded at any point in the season, but the Vikings could possibly explore that possibility before the trade deadline in early November and you would imagine everything is on the table as the organization begins to plan for the future.