Mike Zimmer thinks Case Keenum might still be a trash quarterback
Zimmer didn’t pull punches when discussing his 2017 starter.
The Minnesota Vikings had one hell of a 2017 season. After Case Keenum unexpectedly put together a great performance and helped them reach the NFC Championship game, it appears he’s headed for free agency.
Keenum completed 68 percent of his passes, amassed 3,500 yards while collecting 22 touchdowns and throwing just seven interceptions in 15 games. All season, it was believed Keenum just needed to be a game manager behind a Vikings’ defense that was one of the NFL’s best — but he was better than that. He’s even going to have his name mentioned with one of the best plays in NFL history, the Minneapolis Miracle.
It’s a wonderful turnaround story when you consider Keenum had been stuck in Jeff Fisher hell, coming off a nightmare season with the Rams in 2016 where he completed 61 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and 11 picks.
But, uh, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer doesn’t sound too convinced, even though Keenum helped him look pretty damn good. When asked about the possibility of Keenum returning in 2018 and having a similar season, well:
Can Keenum repeat his 2017 breakout? Zimmer: “You think he can, but it’s just kind of guessing.” Noted they had a good team around him.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 1, 2018
[Extremely game show host voice] But wait, there’s more!
Mike Zimmer on Case Keenum: “Is he the guy that played for the Rams or is he the guy that played for us?”
— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) March 1, 2018
LOL. Sheeeeeeeeeeesh!
I’m not going to open a can on Zimmer for his comments, because a lot of people would agree with him. Prior to this past season, Keenum would have given you no reason to believe in him.
But he kept his good play going, so much that the Vikings didn’t turn back to Teddy Bridgewater once he became healthy — and Bridgewater was considered at one point to be the franchise quarterback before his frightening knee injury.
Honesty is good, but Zimmer probably could have held back a little bit on this one. If Keenum is a good fit, he’s a good fit. Who knows how he’ll feel about going back to Minnesota after hearing his coach say those things — it’s not like other teams won’t be interested in him.
Along with Keenum, Bridgewater and Sam Bradford will also be hitting the free agent market. So the question becomes whether or not any of them come back, or if the Vikings go after the big fish this offseason: Kirk Cousins.
There’s also this:
Zimmer: "I love all three of them (the QBs)." Says if they don't pick the right guy, "I'll probably get fired!"
— Acme Packing Company (@acmepackingco) March 1, 2018
Yeah, probably!