RICK SPIELMAN

Doug Pederson won’t have the power Urban Meyer had with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Vikings Firings Football FILE - Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman stands on the field before an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, in Minneapolis. The Jaguars interviewed former Minnesota general manager Rick Spielman on Monday for an undisclosed front-office role, according to a person familiar with the process. The 59-year-old Spielman spent the last 16 years in Minnesota, the past decade as the team's GM. They have a second interview lined up with former Philadelphia coach Doug Pederson on Tuesday. The 54-year-old Pederson first met with Jaguars owner Shad Khan and Baalke on Dec. 30.

Jacksonville’s meandering coaching search has a new twist.

A person with knowledge of the process says the Minnesota Vikings and Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh had exploratory conversations about their coaching vacancy Saturday and both sides are gauging interest.

APTOPIX Bears Vikings Football Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, in Minneapolis. The Vikings won 31-17. Both in-house searches will begin immediately, but the general manager will be chosen first and have input into the head coach hire. Las Vegas, Jacksonville, Denver, Chicago and Miami also have vacancies for a head coach, and the Bears and New York Giants need a new general manager, too. Spielman and Zimmer were both given contract extensions in 2020.

Patriots Dolphins Football Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores directs his team during the second half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) (Wilfredo Lee)From the NFC North to the AFC East, the firings began almost immediately after the NFL's first 17-game season concluded. The Vikings fired coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman on Monday following an 8-9 season. Division rival Chicago parted with coach Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace after going 6-11. And in a relative surprise, Miami dismissed coach Brian Flores, whose Dolphins went 9-8, including a sweep of archrival New England. While Green Bay is an NFL power and perennial championship contender, the Vikings and Bears have done more teasing than triumphant.

From the NFC North to the AFC East, the firings began almost immediately after the NFL’s first 17-game season concluded.

APTOPIX Bears Vikings Football Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, in Minneapolis. The Vikings won 31-17. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) (Jim Mone)MINNEAPOLIS — (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings fired general manager Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer on Monday, after a second straight absence from the playoffs for a 61-year-old franchise still seeking a title. The Vikings won the NFC North in 2015 and 2017, but in the end the state of the division was the same as at the beginning — with rival Green Bay in firm control. In yet another sign of the high-pressure environment that is the NFL, Eagles coach Doug Pederson was fired one year before Zimmer.

APTOPIX Bears Vikings Football Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, in Minneapolis. The Vikings won 31-17. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) (Jim Mone)MINNEAPOLIS — (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings fired general manager Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer on Monday, according to a person with knowledge of the decision, after a second straight absence from the playoffs. Zimmer went 72-56-1 in eight seasons, plus 2-3 in the postseason over appearances in 2015, 2017 and 2019. ___More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFLCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.

The Minnesota Vikings have fired general manager Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer.

The Minnesota Vikings say defensive end Everson Griffen has emerged from his home without incident and is receiving care for his mental health.

History dictates that it’s likely at least a couple of the five first-round quarterbacks won’t fulfill the hopes of the teams that drafted them.

(AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)Bill Belichick never was one to spend wildly in free agency. Whether by trade, free agency or re-signings, the group brings a good mix of offense, defense and special teams. In addition to keeping Von Miller, Justin Simmons and Shelby Harris, Paton filled his biggest defensive pothole by signing free agent cornerbacks Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller. FUTURE CONSIDERATIONSThe Lions didn’t do much in free agency but nobody in Detroit should be bothered. The Lions are focused on rebuilding through the draft after sending QB Matthew Stafford to the Rams and then letting star wide receiver Kenny Golladay walk in free agency.

(AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith, File)DENVER – Teams searching for an antidote to the high-octane offenses and mobile quarterbacks that dominate the modern NFL won't have to wait around for the draft. Free agency this year promises a deeper pool of possibilities than usual because the league's lost revenues during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 resulted in the first decrease in the salary cap in a decade. Then, the league scuttled its annual scouting combine in Indianapolis, making it harder still for teams to evaluate the incoming class. Ad“In the draft, you’re just shooting from the hip because you just haven’t really spent any time around players,” former Bucs GM Mark Dominik said. “You talk about being able to deal with all the speed, I love the linebacker group, off-the-ball linebackers," Jeremiah said.

MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Vikings traded defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to the Baltimore Ravens for draft picks on Thursday, less than two months after acquiring the fifth-year pass rusher in a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Vikings were initially hoping he'd be able to return with rest and rehabilitation, and Spielman said acquiring Ngakoue was not related to Hunter's injury. I still think we have a very talented team,” Spielman said. The Ravens (5-1) could use Ngakoue to enhance a pass rush that has been productive of late but could use the help. “We are excited to add Yannick Ngakoue to our football team,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said.

FILE - In this Oct. 24 2019, file photo, Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook walks on the field before an NFL football game against the Washington Redskins in Minneapolis. The Vikings have centered their offense around running back Dalvin Cook and praised him at every turn, but now the bill has come due. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn, FIle)MINNEAPOLIS Dalvin Cook logged off last week from virtual team activities with the Minnesota Vikings, no longer willing to participate until he has secured a new contract. The three-year, $39 million contract Arizona gave David Johnson, who's now with Houston, might be the most realistic model. Gordon took a two-year, $8 million contract with Denver.

George Floyd was killed less than three miles from the stadium where the Minnesota Vikings play, so this global unrest over racial relations and justice hit awfully close to home for the team. (Brian Peterson/Star Tribune via AP)MINNEAPOLIS Eric Kendricks woke up distressed shortly after George Floyd was killed just a few miles from the stadium where the Minnesota Vikings play. Commissioner Roger Goodell issued an apology the day after for not listening earlier and encouraged players to speak up and peacefully protest. For the Vikings, like their fellow Twin Cities sports figures, the death of Floyd hit close to home. Timberwolves guard D'Angelo Russell marched with protesters in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, where the death of Breonna Taylor has also stirred uprising.