Next Team Closes Door on Brian Flores
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has been looking for a head coaching opportunity since the Miami Dolphins said goodbye following the 2021 season, in which he finished with a 9-8 record. Nobody was interested last year, but he landed three interviews in the 2025 offseason.
Next Team Closes Door on Brian Flores
The Chicago Bears were among those teams, setting up interviews with seemingly every available candidate. On Monday afternoon, a plethora of reports surfaced about them hiring Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
NFL insider Tom Pelissero wrote on X: “A new day in Chicago: The Bears are finalizing a deal to hire Ben Johnson as their head coach, per sources. Johnson is set to fly there soon and contract parameters are in place. Barring a last-minute snag, the Lions OC lands with an NFC North rival.”
Johnson has been a hot candidate for a head coaching job since last offseason but ultimately decided to stay in Detroit for another year, leading his Lions offense to statistically the best in the entire NFL. The Jared Goff-led offense ranked at the top of the NFL in points per game and was second in yards.
The Vikings also had no answers for Johnson’s attack, allowing 31 points in both meetings with their division rivals. Flores built a strong defense in the Twin Cities, but his crew hasn’t delivered in his four games against Detroit.
The Bears fired head coach Matt Eberflus halfway through the 2024 season, and some dysfunction in the leadership structure led to concerns about whether the Bears could lure a top candidate to Chicago.
It’s safe to say they did, in fact, land one, and he can continue to annoy Vikings fans on Sundays twice a year.
Bears QB Caleb Williams, the first overall pick of the 2024 draft, openly suggested he wants Johnson to mentor him in the upcoming years: “So, if it’s Ben …. then, you know. You know what I mean? If it’s not [Ben], then … it is what it is.”
For Flores, that means another job opening has closed. He also eyed the Patriots’ job, but New England decided to hire their former linebacker, Mike Vrabel.
Flores also interviewed with the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets.
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 mastermind said in November.
He added that it would have to be the right situation, which makes sense considering it would be his second and perhaps last chance. Any concerns about the organization’s stability are problematic. However, neither the Jaguars nor the Jets really fit that bill.
Flores will turn 44 next month. The Vikings would love for him to continue building Minnesota’s defense.
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