Mike Zimmer Hospitalized: Updates on Vikings Coach's Recovery from Eye Surgery

Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer underwent emergency eye surgery on Nov. 30 for a detached retina. It kept him off the sidelines against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 13, but he has returned to the team.

Continue for updates.

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Zimmer Comments on Health

Sunday, Dec. 11

Zimmer told reporters after Week 14's matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars that he will have to undergo another eye surgery after the season.

Zimmer told Dan Barreiro of KFAN on Dec. 6 (h/t Justin Gaard of KFAN) "that there is no 'bubble' in his eye that would prevent him from flying" with the team.

"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 in the day, per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.

Zimmer added that his eye will be monitored weekly over the next several months. However, Zimmer noted that he doesn't have any restrictions in terms of what he can't do post-surgery.

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Zimmer Returns to Vikings

Tuesday, Dec. 6

The Vikings announced on Dec. 5 that "Zimmer has returned to his coaching duties and is expected to travel with the team to Jacksonville for this weekend’s game."

On Dec. 6, Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune shared a photo of Zimmer at practice:

Ben Goessling of ESPN.com reported on Dec. 4 that Zimmer underwent a second surgery on Dec. 2.

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Priefer Serves as Interim Head Coach

Thursday, Dec. 1

Vikings general manager Rick Spielman told reporters that special teams coach Mike Priefer would serve as the head coach for the Dec. 1 game against the Cowboys. Spielman added that he believed this was the best scenario for the team as it "frees up coordinators."

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Spielman Comments on Zimmer's Health

Thursday, Dec. 1

"This morning, Coach Zimmer finally realized how significant this injury is," Spielman told reporters. The general manager added that Zimmer was "fine" during the week, but his vision declined on Nov. 30.

Spielman would not tell reporters if there was concern that Zimmer could have permanent vision loss after the surgery.

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Zimmer Has History of Eye Issues

Zimmer had previously been diagnosed with a torn retina, which required surgery in early November. He had vision problems during the team's Week 8 game against the Chicago Bears and then scratched his eye, which caused team doctors to send him to be further examined.

The 60-year-old coach is in his third year in Minnesota, where he has accumulated a 25-20 record. The Vikings began the season with a 5-0 record but have struggled in recent weeks, with six losses in their last eight games.