The Vikings haven’t gotten much good news lately. They got some on Monday.
“Mike Zimmer has returned to his coaching duties and is expected to travel with the team to Jacksonville for this weekend’s game,” G.M. Rick Spielman announced.
The phrase “travel with the team” implies he’ll be flying from Minneapolis to Jacksonville. The phrase “is expected to” implies that plans could change.
Zimmer, who had emergency surgery on Wednesday to repair a detached retina, will need clearance to fly in a pressurized cabin. Otherwise, the Vikings would have to find another way to get Zimmer to Florida.
The 6-6 Vikings remain alive for the wild-card berth. They have a longer shot to win the NFC North; they’ll need to run the table and hope the Lions lose three of their final four games.