Two months after Cincinnati Bengals offensive analyst coach Adam Zimmer was found dead in his apartment, his cause of death has been revealed to the public.
The Mendota Heights Police Department initially found the 38-year-old after tending to a welfare check at his Minnesota home. At the time, they did not rule his death as suspicious. However, The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office in Minnesota released their investigation into the NFL coach’s death and found that the 38-year-old died due to chronic alcohol use.
Following his college career, Zimmer joined the NFL coaching staff in 2006 and began working with the New Orleans Saints as an assistant linebacker coach. At the time of his death, the Saints shared, “Adam was knowledgeable, hard-working, well-liked by everyone he came into contact with, and enthusiastic. During his time with the Saints, he quickly developed into an excellent coach.”
From New Orleans, he moved on to the Kansas City Chiefs from 2010 until 2012. Following his time with the Chiefs, he joined his father (Mike Zimmer) in Cincinnati as an assistant defensive backs coach in 2013, during his father’s final season as a defensive coordinator.
“Our organization has had the privilege of knowing and working with the Zimmer family for 15 years. We have the highest regard for Mike and Adam, and we are incredibly saddened by this tragic news,” Bengals president Mike Brown said in a statement, per ESPN.
Brown continued, “Mike and Adam were more than just coaches for us — they were friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Zimmer family at this time.”
Minnesota Vikings issue statement in regards to Adam Zimmer’s death
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In addition to the Bengals, the coach also worked alongside his father with the Minnesota Vikings from 2014 up until the 2021 season. Following his death, the Vikings reflected on his work with the team and expressed their grief over his passing.
“Adam was a kind, respectful man, and over his years in Minnesota, it was evident he cared tremendously about his family, his players, his fellow coaches, and the Vikings front office staff,” the team said in a statement.
The Vikings added the sentiments, “Our thoughts are with Mike, Corri, Marki, and the entire Zimmer family.”
Former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman also expressed his grief in a statement, issuing a statement that read, “My thoughts and prayers go out to Coach Zimmer and his family. Adam was a very good coach and a wonderful person. He will be truly missed.”
