The Brian Flores Nightmare Enters Realm of Possibility
Losing defensive coordinator Brian Flores would qualify as a bad dream for many Minnesota football fans. What of losing him to Green Bay?
Stunningly, the Packers lost to the Bears in the playoffs. Wisconsin’s NFL team is now moving into uncertainty at head coach. Nevertheless, ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed that an extension for Matt LaFleur appears likely: “Packers now are expected to try to work out a deal in the coming days to keep head coach Matt LaFleur in Green Bay, per sources.”
Not too long afterwards, Schefter doubles down: “Matt LaFleur currently has one year remaining on his contract. Both sides want clarity moving forward.”
Admittedly, the dot-connecting — Coach Flores leaving Minnesota behind for Green Bay — is a minimum of several steps away, but the possibility exists until it doesn’t. Baltimore remains the lone team to interview Coach Flores. A future where LaFleur leaves Green Bay could see the interview total come up to two.
The Brian Flores Nightmare
Oftentimes, a team likes to pivot off of its former coach by pursuing someone who is quite different.
The Vikings had been led by defensive coach Mike Zimmer for eight seasons. Some success did arrive — most notably, the 2017 journey to the NFC Championship Game behind Case Keenum and a sizzling defense — but not enough to continue the relationship.
Moving on from the defense-first coach meant welcoming an offense-first coach. Zimmer struggled to nail down his relationship with his QB1; not so with Kevin O’Connell. And while Zimmer was older and crusty, O’Connell is young and quite charming.
Seeing the Packers do similarly wouldn’t be totally shocking.
Matt LaFleur is a good coach. One could argue that he’s among the game’s top-ten. At worst, he’s in the top half. But is he essentially the coaching version of Kirk Cousins, someone good enough to make a team competitive but not good enough to push very far?
Pivoting toward Brian Flores would be one way of Green Bay shaking things up as it seeks to get beyond a Cousins-level of success.
Flores is a great leader. He is a sophisticated tactician on defense. So, too, does he balance a tough, competitive spirit with being someone who connects well with his players. While there have been criticism of his coaching in the past, Brian Flores appears to have grown. Wouldn’t be at all shocking, folks, if he did very well as a head coach.
Rolling with a defensive mastermind in Brian Flores would be a notable shift coming off of LaFleur (and Mike McCarthy beforehand). And, quite possibly, it could be precisely what Green Bay needs. How scary would Flores alongside Micah Parsons be?
Now, the reality: there are several steps between the nightmare shifting from the dream world and into the real world. The Schefter update hints at desire to see the relationship continue.
But while that desire does matter, note some of the wording. The two sides will “try” to construct an extension in an effort to get “clarity.” Any chance that trying results in falling short of the stated goal? Does the clarity that arrives involve both sides needing to move on?
Furthermore, it’s noteworthy that Chicago overcame Green Bay. Who is the head coach in Chicago? Ben Johnson, the one who used to be the offensive coordinator of the Lions. Does that precedent of success from within the NFC North carry any weight within the Packers’ front office?
Brian Flores, 44, is among the game’s best coaches. Seeing him return to the Vikings would be a welcome development for Minnesota. During the 2025 season, the Vikings (a 9-8 football team) boasted the NFL’s 7th-best defense by allowing an average of 19.6 points against per game. The Packers (a 9-7-1 football team) had the NFL’s 11th-best defense by averaging 21.2 points against per game.
Much remains to be determined in Minnesota, Green Bay, and around the NFL.
