Mike Zimmer plans to coach Sunday's game from the Vikings sideline, not the coaches booth, while wearing special-made sunglasses as he returns from a series of surgeries to repair a detached retina in his right eye.
The Vikings coach, who had his third and fourth surgeries the days before and after missing last week's loss to Dallas, will have the team's strength coaches watching nearby on the sideline to help him avoid being run over, which, obviously, would be a risk to the eye.
Zimmer's eye doctor asked the Vikings medical staff to try and persuade Zimmer to coach from the safety of the booth but gave Zimmer the option.
Zimmer's recovery is going well. The coach had to spend a day after his fourth surgery lying face down, and he still has some restrictions such as sleeping positions and how far he can look up. He has been cleared to fly with the team.
The special-made sunglasses will have the right lens completely blacked out so Zimmer can see clearly using only his left eye. There's still some double vision in the right eye.
Zimmer brushed aside questions about his eye during his Friday news conference.
"We'll be OK," he said.
