The Vikings will need to hire another assistant on offense as receivers coach George Stewart has reportedly accepted a new job with the Chargers after 10 seasons in Minnesota.
Stewart will be the Chargers new special teams coordinator under head coach Anthony Lynn, according to Sporting News. Stewart coached Lynn during his first season in San Francisco in 1996. Stewart got his NFL start as a special teams coach, leading units in Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and San Francisco before coaching 49ers receivers in the early 2000s, including Terrell Owens.
Stewart has coached receivers ever since, joining the Vikings in 2007. During his tenure in Minnesota, three receivers made the Pro Bowl in Percy Harvin, Sidney Rice and Cordarrelle Patterson. Their two leading receivers last season were Adam Thielen, an undrafted free agent, and Stefon Diggs, a fifth-round pick. Stewart was the second-longest tenured Vikings assistant coach behind Kevin Stefanski, who has moved to quarterbacks coach.
It's another shakeup for the Vikings offensive staff under head coach Mike Zimmer, who chose to part ways with former quarterbacks coach Scott Turner this month, promote Pat Shurmur to full-time offensive coordinator and hire two new assistants in Clancy Barone (TEs) and Kennedy Polamalu (RBs).
The Vikings got just one catch from rookie first-round pick Laquon Treadwell, who dealt with injuries that stunted his development in the second half of the season.
