Minnesota Vikings fans around the world rested a bit easier when it was recently announced that the Pittsburgh Steelers were working to hire Mike McCarthy as their new head coach instead of Brian Flores.
Although the Steelers got their guy, it does bring up the question of why Pittsburgh chose McCarthy over the Vikings' defensive mastermind, since it seemed like this was going to be the offseason that he finally got another head coaching opportunity.
Pittsburgh Steelers surprisingly hired Mike McCarthy instead of Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores
During an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Monday, ESPN's Adam Schefter answered the question of why Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores wasn't chosen to be the new head coach of the Steelers for the 2026 NFL season.
"If we go back to Art Rooney's press conference when Mike Tomlin stepped down and he talked about the fact that he didn't want to rebuild and they've got a veteran team and this is a team that won the division this past year. They won the division. They're not ready to shut it down and rebuild.
They felt like a guy like Mike McCarthy, who's got the experience he does, who's familiar with grooming quarterbacks, could be helpful either growing Mason Rudolph and Will Howard or whoever they draft or potentially even helping to lure back Aaron Rodgers.
Now, they didn't hire him to bring back Aaron Rodgers. But I guarantee on their checklist of things, this is one little bonus. He's got a relationship with Aaron Rodgers. And if Aaron decides that he wants to play again, he'll know the coach, he'll know the offensive system, and maybe that will help make Aaron's decision."
That kind of short-term vision is what can really mess with a franchise. If the Steelers are wrong about the team's current position and McCarthy's skills to get great quarterback play, they would have passed on a great defensive coach who could have helped prepare the team for future success.
Meanwhile, it appears as though the Vikings will be the beneficiaries of Pittsburgh's decision. Although there are still vacancies for head coach positions, Brian Flores has not been interviewed by those franchises.
If Flores does not end up taking a job as a head coach in the NFL this season, he will return to the Vikings as their defensive coordinator since he signed a contract extension recently. Since he has done so well with the Minnesota defense, the team is happy to welcome him back.
The Steelers' loss is the Vikings' gain in this situation. With the AFC North champions focusing on the offense, the purple and gold have the opportunity to keep Brian Flores as their defensive coordinator while they get their offensive issues ironed out, especially in the passing game and at the quarterback position.