Pat Shurmur needed a new job after the 2015 season. His three years with the Eagles working for Chip Kelly came to an end when Kelly was fired, and Shurmur, a candidate to take over as the head coach, did not get the position, as the Eagles went with Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson. Shurmur then spent two years with Mike Zimmer in Minnesota.
In 2016, Shurmur was the tight ends coach and also served as the interim offensive coordinator after Norv Turner resigned midway through that season. In 2017, Shurmur was Zimmer’s full-time offensive coordinator, and the work Shurmur did with Case Keenum was widely praised as transformative, considering the Vikings went 13-3 with a journeyman quarterback.