MINNEAPOLIS -- After handing the keys of their offense to Pat Shurmur for the second half of the 2016 season, the Vikings have decided to put him in charge permanently.
The team plans to remove the interim tag from Shurmur's title and make him the official offensive coordinator, according to a league source. Shurmur, who became the interim coordinator when Norv Turner resigned Nov. 2, will get his third chance to direct an offense, after working as the Rams offensive coordinator from 2009 to '10, and the Eagles offensive coordinator from 2013 to '14, after his two years as the Browns head coach.
Shurmur was with Sam Bradford in both St. Louis and Philadelphia, and his input weighed heavily in the Vikings' decision to send a 2017 first-rounder and a '18 fourth-rounder to the Eagles on Sept. 3 for Bradford after Teddy Bridgewater injured his left knee on Aug. 30. Bradford threw for a career-high 3,877 yards and passed for 20 touchdowns against five interceptions. He set a single-season NFL completion percentage record, though he did it with the fewest air yards per target in the league, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Bradford had said he was "all for" Shurmur keeping the coordinator job permanently. And in a news conference at which coach Mike Zimmer said Bradford had "earned the right to be the starting quarterback" last week, he also praised the work Shurmur had done since taking over for Turner.
"I do think that Pat did a very, very good job, especially under the circumstances he was put in," Zimmer said Tuesday. "I think offensively we improved a lot in the passing and running game [in] the statistics [from] when we started going and things we've done after that. He had a great relationship with Sam. I think the offensive players respect him. We'll just figure all those things out."
According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Vikings averaged 18.56 points and 332 yards per game once Shurmur took over, compared to 15.86 points and 293.3 yards under Turner. However, they were still 23rd in the league in scoring offense after the switch.
Now, they'll look to Shurmur to help repair a leaky offensive line that contributed to the NFL's worst rushing offense.
Shurmur also figures to be heavily involved in the Vikings' decision on whether to keep Adrian Peterson; the team holds an $18 million option on the 31-year-old running back for the 2017 season, but given the fact they would owe him a $6 million roster bonus in March if they exercise the option, a restructured deal might represent the most likely scenario by which he stays in Minnesota.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune first reported on Saturday night that the Vikings plan to make Shurmur the permanent offensive coordinator.