So far this offseason, the Baltimore Ravens are the only team in the NFL with a head-coaching vacancy to interview Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores for the job. But that seems like it's about to change after the gigantic news of Mike Tomlin stepping down as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers happened on Tuesday.
Following the big news, Flores was immediately thought of by many as a possibility to replace Tomlin as the new Steelers head coach since the current Vikings defensive coordinator's last job in the league before joining Minnesota in 2023 was as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach for Pittsburgh in 2022.
After the Steelers' head-coaching position became available on Tuesday, NFL Insider Jordan Schultz also shared that a high-level executive told him that Flores just "makes too much sense" to replace Tomlin in Pittsburgh, which only makes his departure with the Vikings seem even more believable.
Mike Tomlin stepping away from Pittsburgh Steelers increases odds of Brian Flores leaving Minnesota Vikings
Less than 24 hours ago, it seemed like things were trending in the direction of Flores returning for another season as Minnesota's defensive coordinator. But Tomlin's major decision is probably going to put a wrench in convincing him to come back to the Vikings for the 2026 campaign.
Flores' current lawsuit against the NFL and multiple teams is what some believe has prevented him from getting more interviews for head coach openings this offseason.
But since Pittsburgh already went through the process once of hiring him while he has an active lawsuit against the league, that doesn't seem like something that would get in the way of them hiring him as Tomlin's replacement if that's the path they want to take.
While it would be sad to see him leave the Vikings this year, Flores is absolutely deserving of another chance to be a head coach in the NFL, and the Steelers seem like the perfect team to give him that opportunity.