The Pro Football Writers of America announced Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores as the 2026 George Halas Award winner.
Flores, the 58th Halas Award winner, is the first member of the Vikings franchise to receive the honor from the PFWA.
Other 2026 finalists for the Halas Award were Lions edge Aidan Hutchinson and 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey.
The Halas Award is given to an NFL player, coach or staff member who overcomes the most adversity to succeed. The award is named for Halas, a charter member (1963) of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, who was associated with the Chicago Bears and NFL from their inception in 1920 until his death in 1983 as an owner, manager, player and promoter. Halas won 324 games and six NFL titles in 40 seasons as a coach.
The Halas Award is one of the two oldest awards presented by the PFWA, along with the Bill Nunn Jr. Award, presented to a reporter who has made a long and distinguished contribution to pro football through coverage. Both awards were first given in 1969.
After three seasons as the head coach of the Dolphins, Flores was fired after the 2021 season. He filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL and three teams, alleging racial discrimination. In the midst of the lawsuit, he was hired by Pittsburgh as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach in 2022. Flores has spent the last three seasons (2023-25) as Minnesota defensive coordinator. In February 2026, a U.S. District Court ruled that Flores’ lawsuit can be tried in open court, rather than arbitration overseen by the NFL. On May 26, the U.S. Supreme Court denied an appeal by the NFL by declining to review the lower court’s decision in the matter.
During the 2025 season, the Vikings defense ranked third in the NFL in total yards (282.6 yards per game).
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