Vikings Defensive Coordinator George Edwards Not Expected To Be With Team Next Year
It sounds like there will be new faces for both sides of the ball on the coaching staff for the Minnesota Vikings. Earlier today, it was reported that Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski would be leaving to take over as the Browns head coach. This evening, NFL insider Adam Schefter tweeted that defensive coordinator George Edwards isn't expected to return next season.
There was speculation during the season that Edwards wouldn't be retained after the 2019 campaign, with SiriusXM's Alex Marvez suggesting that when his contract expires at the end of the season, that he will not be returning.
The wording of these reports are ambiguous, and don't specify whether the decision is that of the team, Edwards, or both. Edwards has been the target of some other teams, with reports of other teams interviewing or showing interest in him over the last couple years. Yahoo! Sports reports that the decision to part is both mutual and "amicable". Neither the Vikings nor Edwards have discussed plans for the 2020 season publicly yet.
Edwards has been with the Vikings since 2014, when he was hired by Mike Zimmer as his defense coordinator when Zimmer first became the team's head coach. While Zimmer did most of the playcalling during that time, the duo have constructed a consistently strong defense over their tenure together with Minnesota.
At 52 years old (he turns 53 on January 16), it is assumed Edwards will move on to another role elsewhere in the league. He has been coaching in the NFL either as a defensive coordinator or defensive position coach since 1998, when he made the jump from college football to the pros, joining the Dallas Cowboys. Since then, he has coached with the Redskins, Browns, Dolphins, Bills, and Vikings.