The Vikings’ Biggest Offseason Question Is Sitting on the Sideline
As the end of the 2025 NFL season gets closer, the Minnesota Vikings face not only the decision of what to do with player contracts, but also with coaches. The biggest non-player decision will be with Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores. His contract is expiring; they couldn’t get a deal done last year. Now his stock is soaring, and the league’s coaching carousel is already buzzing with Flores’ name.
What the Vikings and Brian Flores decide now could shape their identity on defense for years to come. This decision is partly out of the Vikings’ hands if Flores is offered a Head Coaching job for the right team. So will defensive coordinator Brian Flores remain with the franchise in 2026?
Why Brian Flores is a Top Coaching Candidate
When Flores arrived, he had already been one of the NFL’s best young defensive minds. The impact has been noticeable each year, with the Vikings’ defense ranking among the league’s best. Flores’ approach to defense was unique in playing with the three-safety approach that propelled Josh Metellus’ career in being used in a Swiss Army Knife-like style. He has played linebacker, cornerback, and safety.
This confused the offense and the quarterbacks alike, as there was no way to know which protections to call at the line and which defense Minnesota was in. This also changed the league’s defensive approach, as more teams have adopted the Vikings’ style and are using what has been working well for them. The defensive style he developed in past seasons is designed to consistently limit explosive plays, generate turnovers, and provide a bend-don’t-break approach that has kept the team in games when the offense is struggling, as we have seen numerous times this year.
It’s not just his recent performance with the Vikings that makes Flores desirable. His resume highlights not only statistics but also the people he has learned from. Flores spent nearly two decades in the NFL, including a long stint with the Patriots, and led the Dolphins as head coach, going 24-25 in three seasons.
Is that momentum enough to overcome his still unresolved legal case with the league? That ongoing legal battle with the league stems from his interviews with the Giants and Broncos following his departure from Miami, during which Flores has accused the teams of conducting interviews in which it was already clear they would hire someone else, but they interviewed him to satisfy the Rooney Rule. The NFL has denied the allegations and continues to defend its processes. The litigation is ongoing and has not yet produced a final verdict or settlement.
Options for the Vikings: Keep Flores
1. Offer a Lucrative Contract Extension
The obvious path from the perspective of a fan is to pay the man the money. For the love of God, you need to re-sign Flores. Fans all know how important he is, and we want to see the deal get done. With his contract expiring, the Vikings are reportedly engaged in talks to keep him. Head coach Kevin O’Connell has said in the media that Flores is a priority and someone the team wants to retain “for the foreseeable future.”
Minnesota could entice Flores to stay in multiple ways:
1. Pay him top defensive coordinator money—if not the highest in the league. He has earned it, in my opinion.
2. Assistant head coach title — This approach makes sense from both a team-building and competitive standpoint. No offense to Mike Pettine, but if this secures Flores and deters him from other head coaching positions, Flores is the clear choice given his measurable impact on the team’s performance.
3. Even more influence on roster construction — Flores already has this on defense, bringing in guys like Isaiah Rodgers at cornerback. On that side of the ball, he knows who he wants and who fits his scheme.
2. Sell the Vision of Winning in Minnesota
Beyond money, Flores has repeatedly spoken fondly of his time in Minnesota, citing the organization, players, and community as positive influences. Spending several years here also makes it tough to leave when your family has kids in school and relationships with friends.
So Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has to pitch staying in Minnesota, where everything is going well on the football side, as Flores has stated in the media, but pay him top dollar to win here and not have to uproot his family, and continue building this defense in his vision. Let’s be real here. With continued success, “Flo” can stay in Minnesota as long as he wants. The fans love him, the owners love him, and it seems to have a great “Flo” with KOC as well.
Why Flores Might Consider Leaving
1. Head Coaching Aspirations
This is the #1 reason Flores may leave: the opportunity to be a head coach again. He has interviewed in previous years for positions and may leave for the right opportunity. If I am Flores, though, I am not leaving the Vikings for a head coaching job that has disaster written all over it.
2. Bigger Offers and New Challenges
Let’s just nip this in the bud. It is crazy to think he would leave Minnesota, where he built the defense, KOC lets him do his thing, and especially if the Vikings pay him, which I do believe they will. Going anywhere else, especially to Dallas with new players, a new head coach, and Jerry Jones to deal with, uprooting his family in the process, just doesn’t make sense. Not happening in my opinion. Next.
If Flores Leaves: What’s Next?
If Flores is leaving, the Vikings must fill a critical coordinator vacancy. Possible options include:
Daronte Jones – Current passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach. Has he picked up enough from Brian Flores?
Mike Pettine – Has a Defensive Coordinator background and is the current Assistant HC.
Jerod Mayo – Former linebacker and linebacker coach under Bill Belichick, and then was hired as Patriots HC for one year before being released.
The tough part is this defense is built for the Flores system—and it works. We don’t want major changes unless necessary. None of those guys is a preferred option over Flores.
What Do I Think Happens?
Flores will only leave for a head coaching job with a good owner and a solid core of players. I believe he will stay in Minnesota, get paid as one of the league’s highest-paid defensive coordinators, and likely receive more influence on the team.
He will not make a lateral move as a defensive coordinator. As fans, we just have to hope Flores and his family enjoy Minnesota, feel the love from fans, and see the vision of being the Vikings’ DC for years to come, rather than leaving for a head coaching job. Enjoy what you have, Minnesota, before it’s gone.
