It’s Official on Brian Flores
The NFL’s head coaching carousel is complete, and Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores will remain in the Twin Cities.
It’s Official on Brian Flores
Until Tuesday, the league had one more head coaching vacancy to fill, with the New Orleans Saints presumably waiting on the Super Bowl’s conclusion to announce their choice.
That hire hit national airwaves two days after the Super Bowl, and Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore will lead the Saints in 2025 and beyond.
NFL Network‘s Ian Rapoport tweeted, “Eagles OC Kellen Moore is finalizing a deal with the Saints to be their new head coach, per The Insiders. What was expected for more than a week will be official soon. Moore leaves Philly a Super Bowl champion, and now the work begins in New Orleans.”
Flores never interviewed for the Saints’ top job, but his return couldn’t be deemed “officially official” until New Orleans filled the post. Put plainly, there are no more head coaching jobs for Flores to earn this offseason. He’ll return to Minnesota for Year No. 3 and perhaps try the HC market in 2026.
The defensive coach turned the Vikings’ defense around rather quickly, and in fact, his group ranked second in the NFL last season per EPA/Play. He earned HC attention accordingly. Fans will be excited to have him back for a third act.
Flores interviewed with the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Jets this offseason, but those franchises hired Ben Johnson, Liam Coen, and Aaron Glenn, respectively. And it would be quite odd for Flores to depart Minnesota for the Saints’ defensive coordinator post, one of the NFL’s only vacant coordinator gigs at the moment.
Last month, Flores expressed interest in one particular job: the New England Patriots head coaching spot.
“I would say yes,” Flores replied to reporters when asked if he’d take an interview for New England’s top gig. The Patriots somewhat unexpectedly fired first-year skipper Jerod Mayo in January, a former coworker of Flores’.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert tweeted about the exchange, “Brian Flores is gracefully taking a lot of questions about his head coach prospects. He said he will take every interview that is requested. Asked if he is interested in the Patriots job, he said: ‘I would say yes.’ But he added ‘it’s not up to me’ if they want to talk.”
The Patriots hired Mike Vrabel soon after.
Flores’ defense can get even better in 2025, as the Vikings have around $60 million in cap space as of mid-February.
One Vikings coach earned a promotion this offseason: assistant quarterback coach Grant Udinski, who joined the Jaguars as offensive coordinator last week.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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