Burns, former Minnesota Vikings coach known for wit, dies at 94

MINNEAPOLIS — Jerry Burns, the colorful character who took over as the Minnesota Vikings’ head coach in a time of turmoil and led the team to three playoff berths in six seasons, has died. He was 94.

The team announced Burns’ death. Vikings spokesman Bob Hagan said Burns’ son-in-law informed him of Burns’ death Wednesday morning.

Burns helped the Green Bay Packers win the first two Super Bowls as the defensive backs coach for Vince Lombardi. Then he joined the staff of another future Hall of Fame coach when Bud Grant hired him as Minnesota’s offensive coordinator in 1968. Burns held the position until 1985 and became head coach in 1986, following Les Steckel’s 3-13 season in 1984 and Grant’s 7-9 campaign in 1985 when he was coaxed out of retirement.

BRIDGEWATER: In his first public comments since the Carolina Panthers traded him last month, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater offered some advice for the Panthers.

“For Joe Brady’s growth, I think that organization will have to practice different things in different ways,” Bridgewater said on the All Things Covered podcast. “Like one of the things we didn’t do much of when I was there, we didn’t practice two-minute, really. We didn’t practice red zone.”

The comments drew surprise from the podcast’s hosts Patrick Peterson and Bryant McFadden, who said their teams had an entire practice day dedicated to two-minute drills and red-zone offense.

The Panthers traded Bridgewater to the Denver Broncos last month in exchange for a sixthround pick after spending one year with the team.

When asked did he get a fair shake with the Panthers, he said he understood that the NFL was a business and knows there were some things that he could have done better.