The Minnesota Vikings are moving in a new direction defensively with Chris Rumph being named as the new hire to coach the defensive line, per Pro Bowl Network’s Aaron Wilson.
After spending the last two years bouncing around from the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans, the longtime coach is hoping to find some stability with a Vikings team that led the league in sacks at one point last season.
Then the injury bug hit, the team struggled and everything quickly fell apart.
The news of Rumph’s hiring came not long after Ed Donatell was confirmed as the team’s new defensive coordinator. So there could be a shift in defensive philosophies for the team in 2022.
If the Vikings ever have any hope of competing for a Super Bowl, they have to drastically improve on the defensive side of the ball next season. They finished the season ranked 26th in the league against the run with opponents averaging 130.7 rushing yards per game against them.
So they were one of the worst units in the league, period.
The hope now is that Rumph can be a part of a solution under Donatell in an interesting coaching staff overseen by soon-to-be hired head coach Kevin O’Connell.