Terence Newman has a job (cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings), but he already garnered a job offer for his post-playing career. As Newman revealed on Friday, he has been offered a spot on Mike Zimmer's coaching staff.
Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports:
Newman has an open invitation from Zimmer to join his coaching staff following his playing career. Newman doesn't rule that out, but said it wouldn't be anything that happens right away.
"Whenever I'm done, I'm going to take a year off and just do some things that I haven't had an opportunity to do," he said. "So, that would be at least two years away from now if I were to be done at the end of this year."
Zimmer's interest in Newman, who played under him in Dallas too, makes sense. After all, Newman, 38, somehow managed to thrive last season despite his age. He snagged just one interception, but according to Pro Football Focus, he surrendered the fifth-lowest passer rating on throws in his direction among 79 qualified cornerbacks. The four lower passer ratings belonged to:
Richard Sherman finished sixth, one spot behind Newman. So, that's a pretty good list. He was almost unstoppable when he was deployed in zone coverage:
A.J. Bouye, Terence Newman, Jimmy Smith.
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) June 9, 2017
Standouts in zone coverage in 2016. pic.twitter.com/Y2uTMP8evs
I'm going to take a wild guess that Newman's football instincts and, well, his brain played a role in his stellar season. That's probably why Zimmer wants him to join the coaching staff immediately upon his retirement.
Luckily for the Vikings, Newman didn't retire this offseason, signing a one-year deal to return to Minnesota instead. At the time, he revealed that his decision to play another season was all about his desire to win a Super Bowl.
"The only reason I'm playing the game right now is because I want a ring," he said. "That's the one thing I was so happy about DeMarcus. He was able to get a ring and that's the epitome. And that's the thing that everybody wants to attain. Some guys might play for money. Some guys don't love the game, but they love the money. Me? I love the game and I want a ring. That's the reason I play.
"I wouldn't do it if I didn't think I could win a ring. I wouldn't try to play this game and go to a team that is 'rebuilding' or what have you. But the fact that I have an opportunity with a team that I know has a shot at winning a ring, that's the part that, to me, is important. Because as an older player, you don't want to be in a situation where you're trying to do nothing but teach young guys. It gives me an opportunity to actually be able to teach young guys and be in a position where I can get a ring while playing."
The Vikings, who missed the playoffs last year despite starting 5-0, will have a ton of work to do if they're to overcome the Packers in the NFC North. The improvement will largely be out of Newman's hands, though, as the Vikings need their offense to pick up the slack after they finished 23rd in points scored.
It's worth noting, of course, that if Newman were to join the Vikings' coaching staff, he would get a few more chances to win a title. And hey, maybe as a coach he could help make sure the Vikings' defensive backs stop going rogue by ignoring Zimmer's game plan.