Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, whose scheme helped Minnesota have the No. 3 defense in the league in 2025, apparently won’t be leaving.
Signed to a new contract, subject to a head-coaching opportunity, the recent filling of the Ravens and Steelers jobs means that — barring an unexpected development — Flores will be back with the Vikings in 2026.
Flores had been interviewed by both Baltimore and Pittsburgh. The Ravens hired Jesse Minter, and the Steelers (who loved Flores during his time there in 2022) will be hiring Mike McCarthy.
It’s still possible that Flores will emerge as a candidate for one of the remaining vacancies, with the Raiders, Bills, Cardinals, and Browns. But he has not yet been interviewed for any of those jobs.
Beyond his lawsuit against the NFL and four teams (Dolphins, Giants, Broncos, and Texans), which legally should not be a factor but let’s not be naive, there are questions about Flores’s time with the Dolphins and his time with the Vikings. Recently, former Minnesota assistant Mike Pettine said just enough to confirm the existence of a red flag.
And so it appears Flores will be back with the Vikings, for a fourth season. There’s no doubt that coach Kevin O’Connell thinks highly of Flores. Enough to overcome any friction that may have occurred within the coaching staff.
The scheme works. In 2025, it worked almost well enough to overcome a bottom-five offense to get to the postseason. If the Minnesota offense can improve just a little bit in 2026, the Vikings will continue their trend of making it to the playoffs, roughly every other year.
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