For the second offseason in a row, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores will be a hot commodity. He's positioned himself to be at or near the top of the list of prospective head coaching candidates yet again, arguably even bolstering his case.
As things stand, Flores is on an expiring contract while his efforts with the club continue to garner attention, which rightfully has Vikings fans on edge. He's a pending free agent who has as much impact on Minnesota's outlook in 2026 and beyond as virtually any player.
Fortunately, the front office is ostensibly aware of the urgency to retain him and has reportedly begun taking matters into its own hands.
Per Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, the Vikings are "currently working toward extending" Flores.
Minnesota Vikings reportedly striving to ensure Brian Flores sticks around longer
If the Vikings had their druthers, they would've committed to Flores long term ahead of the 2025 campaign, Florio notes. However, he won after seemingly "betting on himself," leveraging his value to secure a raise and/or promotion, whether in Minnesota or elsewhere.
Flores' exotic, blitz-heavy scheme has had the Vikings' defense firing on all cylinders this season. Here's where they rank in the following metrics entering Week 17's Sunday slate:
- Seventh in takeaways (21)
- Fifth-lowest yards per play (4.8)
- No team has allowed fewer first downs by passing than the Vikings (131)
- Sixth in sacks (45)
- Tied for sixth-most pressures (144)
- Third-fewest passing yards per game (168.8)
- Fifth-fewest rushing yards per attempt (4.0)
- 24th in opponent passer rating (86.6)
Many around the league have taken notice of how disruptive Minnesota's stop unit has been this year. It's been the biggest factor in them overcoming a 4-8 start and climbing back to .500 entering a regular-season finale against the Green Bay Packers. With that in mind, Florio revealed that Flores will "most likely" interview for head coaching vacancies.
Other teams may already be plotting to try prying Flores away from Minnesota, and it's easy to see why, so time is of the essence. Florio mentioned that the Dallas Cowboys are "lurking" as a potential suitor, assuming they fire their current defensive coordinator, Matt Eberflus.
In addition to Flores' expertise, his previous experience is another appealing selling point. He produced two winning seasons as the Miami Dolphins' head coach from 2019 through 2021.
Many remember him for infamously butting heads with the team's quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, but there were plenty of other positive takeaways, as the record illustrates.