Brian Flores’ 2025 Team Slowly Comes to Light
The Minnesota Vikings employ some strong candidates for a promotion with QB coaches Josh McCown and Grant Udinksi. Defensive backs coach Daronte Jones has also landed an interview for a defensive coordinator job. His boss, Brian Flores, interviewed for three franchises but was passed over three times.
Brian Flores’ 2025 Team Slowly Comes to Light
Flores was hired in the 2023 offseason and was asked to repair the broken defensive unit that couldn’t stop anything in the previous three seasons under Mike Zimmer and Ed Donatell.
He did that and had planned to return to the head coaching ranks sooner rather than later. After his first campaign, he didn’t generate any interest, but this year, the New York Jets, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Chicago Bears all interviewed him for their top jobs.
In the last few days, however, all three decided to hire someone else. Ben Johnson stays within the division to lead the Bears, and his coaching mate from the Lions, Aaron Glenn, was appointed by the Jets. Former Buccaneers coordinator Liam Coen will be Trevor Lawrence’s new mentor in Jacksonville.
In addition to that, the Cowboys, Raiders, and Patriots are off the board, leaving only one opening: The New Orleans Saints. And they seem to look in a different direction.
Tom Pelissero reported on X: “After a whirlwind week, the Saints are the only NFL team with a head coaching vacancy — and it could take a bit to fill. They interviewed Anthony Weaver today, have Mike Kafka tomorrow and plan to speak with Mike McCarthy and possibly Joe Brady and Kellen Moore next week.”
Unless a surprise team joins the coaching search party really late, the Saints are the final opening in this year’s offseason. Those mentioned candidates are all on the offensive side, except Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver.
During the 2024 season, Flores was asked whether he still has the intention to return to the top 32 jobs in the business: “Now, I may get some resistance from my kids, who are having a great time here in Minnesota. They’re having a fantastic time here just with school, and basketball, and football, and friendships and things like that. I’d get a little resistance, but for me personally, it’s something that I’d love to do again. With that said, Minnesota has been a great spot for me. My family, we’re really enjoying it,” the defensive coach said in November.
He has always emphasized that it would have to be the right opportunity and situation rather than just any job.
Flores has a previous stint as a head coach on his resume, being the man in charge of the Miami Dolphins for three seasons between 2019 and 2021. He won five games with a horrendous roster in year one, followed by two seasons with nine wins.
Following his dismissal, he joined Mike Tomlin’s staff in Pittsburgh as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach. The Vikings hired him one year later. He spent his first 15 seasons in the NFL with the New England Patriots in different positions on the scouting and coaching staff.
It would be a mild surprise if Flores somehow entered the race for the one remaining spot this late. That, meanwhile, is fantastic news for the Vikings because they can keep one of the elite coordinators in all of football in the building, and the continuity will surely help the club in the 2025 season.
His defense needs a slight overhaul, as all three top cornerbacks (Byron Murphy, Shaq Griffin, and Stephon Gilmore) are scheduled to enter free agency, and so are safeties Harrison Smith and Cam Bynum.
The Vikings have almost $70 million in cap space and pick 24 to improve Flores’ roster.
The coach will turn 44 in February.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt