After only one season with the Cleveland Browns, veteran NFL offensive guru Norv Turner may be off to Minnesota. According to a league source, the Minnesota Vikings, fresh from hiring Mike Zimmer as head coach on Wednesday, have obtained permission to interview Turner for their open offensive coordinator post.
Turner is still under contract with the Browns, where he served as OC under Rob Chudzinski, who only lasted a year. The Browns posted a 4-12 record this season, dead last in the AFC North division, their offense ending the season ranked 18th in the league. Even so, few see the Browns’ struggles as a fault of Turner’s aggressive downfield passing scheme—the team finished 11th in the NFL in passing despite losing starter Brian Hoyer to a torn ACL and having to rely on backups Brandon Wheedon and Jason Campbell.
If Turner were to land with the Vikings, he would inherit the league’s best back in Adrian Peterson, a potential powder keg given that Turner has been the coach of the NFL’s top rusher in five different seasons.
Turner’s career has seen stints with eight different NFL teams. After early-career stops as an offensive coaching staff member at USC and the Los Angeles Rams, he came to prominence in the early ‘90s while serving as OC for the Dallas Cowboys. There he earned two Super Bowl rings (’92 and ’93) while helping to turn quarterback Troy Aikman into a Hall of Fame player. Following stops as head coach or offensive coordinator for the Redskins (HC), Chargers (OC), Dolphins (OC), Raiders (HC), and 49ers (OC), Turner spent a tumultuous six years at the helm of the San Diego Chargers.
The Baltimore Ravens have also expressed an interest in interviewing Turner but have not yet requested permission to interview.
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