Paul Allen was one of many people who downplayed Mike Zimmer and Kirk Cousins’ intense celebration after the Minnesota Vikings’ last-second 19-17 victory over the Detroit Lions.
However, he’s changed his tune following Ben Leber’s candid remarks about Zimmer and Cousins’ relationship.
“Back to like the middle of the season. Home game, and it’s a victory. Yeah, Zim snapped when Cousins pushed him,” Allen said Monday on his KFAN show. “And looking back at it, the former head coach got that side-eye and rage steaming from his nostrils. And he wanted to go. But then he didn’t want to go. Kirk sensed a free shot during the working relationship, and he got one in.”
Allen is the voice of the Vikings, once co-owned a racehorse with Zimmer, and hosts the popular 92Noon show on KFAN.
Zimmer and Cousins’ interaction following the win over Detroit on Oct. 10 was highly scrutinized at the time. But multiple insiders, including Allen, downplayed the interaction. Now, nearly a year after the incident, it seems like we have a better idea of what happened.
Cousins entered a difficult environment after signing with the Vikings. His interaction with Zimmer seemed to be a public manifestation of their tense relationship. Will he thrive now that he has a supportive coach in Kevin O’Connell? We’ll find out soon enough.
