On Wednesday, Mike Zimmer appeared just as at ease and organic in Dallas Cowboys uniforms as he had when he served as the team’s assistant coach for 12 years, from 1994 to 2006. He returned to the position of defensive coordinator in part due to his familiarity with the team, particularly with owner Jerry Jones, and his rapport with head coach Mike McCarthy. When Zimmer was head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and McCarthy was with the Green Bay Packers, they faced off as coaches in the NFC North. Without a doubt, though, Zimmer—a member of the 1995 Dallas Super Bowl champion team—returned for one reason and one reason only.
He’s here, 18 years since his departure, to the help the Cowboys win championship again. The 2024 season that has already been declared as an “all-in” campaign by Jones and one that’s a make-or-break final run for McCarthy, who is in the last year of his contract. “There is no other reason,” Zimmer said. “My grandkids are fine and all that, but I can see them any time. I didn’t come here to do all the work that we need to do if we’re not trying to win a championship. They have won 12 games in three straight years, right on the cusp. I think they have done a great job with the personnel on the team, good coaching staff. That’s the number one goal. I didn’t come to be average this year.” The Cowboys and Zimmer reportedly came to terms last Thursday, but the deal didn’t become official until Monday. Although another team had approached him about a job, he said there is no other place he wanted to be but to come to Dallas. He blamed the holdup on an illness. “My daughter, who lives with me was torn up for a few days, and she got me sick,” Zimmer said. “I was in bed for a couple days, and then the Super Bowl was going on. We kind of slow-played it and went from there. There wasn’t any intense negotiations or anything like that here. I knew I wanted to be here. I knew they wanted me to be here.” When Dan Quinn, the defensive coordinator since 2001, left to become he Washington Commanders head coach, the Cowboys interviewed Zimmer, former defensive line coach and now Seattle defensive coordinator Aden Durde, former Washington coach Ron Rivera, former New York Jets and New England Patriots coach Rex Ryan and Jets safety coach Marquand Manuel.
