A Painful Possibility Is Surfacing for the Vikings
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores is the biggest unresolved piece of the Vikings’ offseason. He is chasing another head coaching opportunity, but a lateral move as a defensive coordinator also remains in play. That reality became far more uncomfortable when a vacancy opened in Green Bay — creating a nightmare scenario where Flores could land with the Vikings’ biggest rival.
He’s allowed to leave for a lateral position because his contract with the Vikings has expired after three seasons with the club. It’s highly unusual for a coordinator of Flores’ stature to reach true free agency, but that’s the situation Minnesota now faces.
The Packers lost their defensive coordinator, Jeff Hafley, earlier this week, as he was hired as Miami’s new head coach, taking over Flores’ old gig.
Flores, meanwhile, is also a candidate in the head coaching cycle, having interviewed with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens. He also interviewed with the Washington Commanders about their defensive coordinator opening, suggesting that Flores has entertained a lateral move.
On Tuesday, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky wrote about Hafley’s exit from a Packers’ perspective, naming potential replacement candidates.
“LaFleur also could try to lure Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores from Minnesota,” Demovsky noted. “Flores is not under contract for 2026 and has interviewed for head coaching jobs and at least one other defensive coordinator opening. Flores was one of the front-runners to become the Packers’ head coach in 2019, a source said, before LaFleur got the job.”
Losing Flores for a DC job elsewhere would be a bad look for the Vikings, but losing him to the hated rivals would sting even more.
Over the last two campaigns, Minnesota has ranked near the top of the league in multiple advanced defensive metrics. The Vikings have the league’s best defensive EPA/Play in that span. In DVOA, the Vikings’ defense ranked 2nd in 2024 and 3rd in 2025.
The Packers have a record of 1-3 against the Vikings over the past two seasons and Flores’ defense was a big reason why.
While Flores-to-Green Bay remains hypothetical, the Packers have requested an interview with Vikings defensive pass game coordinator Daronte Jones. The assistant coach would be a prime in-house candidate to take over for Flores in the Twin Cities. There is a real chance that the Vikings lose one, if not both, this offseason.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell emphasized that his club has been “aggressive” in negotiations with Flores.
“We’ve been really aggressive (in negotiations), and Flo knows exactly how we feel about him. But at the same time, I’m really excited for him. I think he’s gonna for sure talk to one team about their head coach position, would not be surprised at all if it ends up being multiple. I think he’s more than deserving, everything he’s brought to our organization over these last three years,” O’Connell commented.
At this point, the facts are simple: Flores is not under contract for 2026, the Packers suddenly have a vacancy, and the Vikings badly want him back. Until the head coaching cycle settles, all sides are stuck waiting — and Vikings fans are hoping the nightmare scenario never materializes.
As the head coaching jobs in the AFC North will get figured out over the next week or two, Flores’ future will also become clearer. All we can do is wait.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.