There are a lot of nervous Minnesota Vikings fans right now after the contract of defensive coordinator Brian Flores expired, and he can speak with whoever he wants.
The Washington Commanders were the first to contact him about interviewing for their defensive coordinator opening. Flores has been interviewing for head coaching jobs, and he is becoming a very popular candidate to bring in.
Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon recently went through all the big coordinator openings and identified who should be the top two candidates for each job. Flores is obviously the number one choice for the Vikings at defensive coordinator, but Gagnon likes a name no one is talking about as plan B: former New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo.
"Mayo disappointed in his first head coaching stint in 2024 with the Patriots, but the 39-year-old spent several years as a primary play-caller for New England and experienced plenty of success during that time.
Ideally, the Vikings keep the sought-after Flores on their staff, but if the 44-year-old former Dolphins head coach gets another shot at a top job, Mayo would be a logical choice as a replacement following a year of recharging."
Could Jerod Mayo make it work as the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator if Brian Flores leaves?
This is a fascinating candidate for the Vikings, as there are a few concerns with Mayo to consider. He was not the greatest head coach as he struggled in his only season in the role, going 4-13 with the Patriots in 2024.
Another big issue is that he has never been a defensive coordinator at any level before. He had only been the inside linebackers coach from 2019 through 2023, but had never called defensive plays.
What would help Mayo is that this Vikings defense is an established unit that has done a great job carrying the offense over the years. In 2025, Minnesota's defense was ranked third in the NFL in yards allowed and seventh in points allowed.
That would be the good part, but while Mayo had success as an inside linebackers coach with the Patriots, his one year as head coach saw the defense regress badly. New England was ranked 22nd in total defense and points allowed.
This would be a big risk for Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell to take, bringing in an inexperienced coach to run one of the NFL's best defenses. O'Connell would probably prefer to stick with Flores running his defense for as long as possible, like he wants to.