Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said he hopes to coach veteran linebacker Chad Greenway back for one more season.

More Vikings coverage

He also wishes he had a chance to coach Greenway earlier in his career.

That’s what Zimmer said Thursday at his NFL Combine press conference in Indianapolis, where he and the Vikings are scouting more than 330 of the top college prospects. Zimmer added that he was impressed with the play of the 33-year-old Greenway in 2015. The 10-year veteran started 12 games, made 68 tackles, had 2.5 sacks and returned an interception 91 yards for a touchdown.

"He probably played more than he anticipated this year," said Zimmer, who was an assistant in Dallas, Atlanta and Cincinnati before landing Minnesota’s head coaching job. "I really wish I had the chance to coach him when he first came out of the draft because I see the great intangibles that he has now and what, maybe, I could have helped him try to be if I had him when he was younger."

Greenway is an unrestricted free agent. Last season he made $3.4 million and also received a $1.7 million signing bonus and $375,000 roster bonus, according to the website Spotrac.

The Vikings selected Greenway in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft, but he did not make his debut until 2007 because of a torn ACL. Greenway led the Vikings in tackles from 2008-13 and earned Pro Bowl berths in 2011 and 2012. The South Dakota native has 1,060 career tackles along with 18 sacks and 10 interceptions.

Teddy time: Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater helped the Vikings to an 11-5 record in his first year as a full-time starter.

Zimmer said he hopes Bridgewater can take another step in his third season. The coach said he didn’t know if the Vikings would throw the ball more next year, but he wants Bridgewater to "take charge" of the offense.

"If I come back here next year — if I’m still here — what I want to say is, ‘Man, Teddy really took over this offense," Zimmer said.

Bridgewater started all 16 regular-season games in 2015, throwing 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions and accruing a passer rating of 88.7. He also rushed for three scores and was named to the Pro Bowl as a replacement.

Zimmer did say he was concerned with the pressure Bridgewater sustained. The QB took 45 sacks last year and 44 the year before.

"We’ve got to do a better job in protecting him, and that’s just not the offensive line," Zimmer said. "This guy has got a chance to be an extremely good player but we have to do a good job with that."

Impact player: The Vikings have yet to find a steady safety to complement Harrison Smith. When they do, that could allow Smith to have an even greater impact, Zimmer said.

"I think Harrison could be more impactful if he had the right kind of guy next to him," he said. "I don’t know [if that guy is on the roster]."

Smith played alongside Robert Blanton and Andrew Sendejo in 2015 but both struggled at points.

Smith made his first Pro Bowl this past season, recording 66 tackles and two interceptions in 13 regular-season games.