The Cincinnati Bengals need a defensive coordinator, and it sure sounds like Mike Zimmer wouldn't mind filling that role. Zimmer previously served as the DC in Cincinnati from 2008 to 2013.
“I still have a lot of fondness for Cincinnati,” Zimmer said, via Cincy Jungle. “The fans were great to me. The ownership is really good. I enjoy Mike Brown. We had a lot of good discussions. I loved my time with the Bengals. We had some good teams there. But I don’t know what the future holds.”
Mike Zimmer sounds like a guy who wouldn't mind returning to Cincinnati
Since leaving Cincinnati, Zimmer served as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings for eight seasons. Most recently, he served as the defensive coordinator for the Cowboys in 2024, but Dallas recently parted ways with head coach Mike McCarthy, leaving Zimmer facing an uncertain future. He's reportedly "open to all options," but would consider Cincinnati as a top landing spot.
“If there were two or three teams you said you really wanted to go to, Cincinnati and Dallas obviously would be the top two," Zimmer said. "We’ll just kind of see where it goes. Either situation is really good."
Zimmer said he hasn't been contacted by Cincinnati, yet, but a reunion would make sense for him, geographically at least.
“I enjoy coaching a lot,” Zimmer said, “and my home is in Northern Kentucky. When I was with the Bengals, I bought this property. I’m actually about 25 minutes from the stadium. This is my home. This is my offseason place. I’m just seeing what comes about.”
So, the ball is in the Bengals' court. It certainly sounds like Zimmer would be open to the idea of returning to Cincinnati. Is he the best man for the job? That's up to Cincinnati's front offie to figure out, but it couldn't hurt to kick the tires.
