The Unthinkable Has Been Suggested for Brian Flores
Minnesota Vikings defense coordinator Brian Flores may be a hot commodity this month inside the NFL’s coaching carousel, and one new theory suggests that he could end up with the Detroit Lions in the same position he holds now.
Detroit doesn’t read as a natural landing spot for a lateral move, but that didn’t stop Detroit media from running with it.
The idea doesn’t make much sense, but a Detroit radio station advanced it anyway, suggesting that Detroit could pay Flores more than Minnesota and that the defensive guru would simply move within the NFC North.
A Lateral Detroit Link for Brian Flores Raises a Weird Question
The latest offseason theory? Brian Flores to the Lions.
Birth of the Flores-Lions Theory
Vikings fans won’t like it — not one bit — but Flores to Detroit became a theory this week after the Detroit Lions’ season tumbled into futility. The Lions were once Super Bowl hopefuls but are now sitting in last place inside the NFC North.
Mike Valenti of Detroit’s 97.1 The Ticket radio station led the charge this week with the Flores theory, explaining, “You know who doesn’t have a contract next year? There’s an elite defensive coordinator who’s got head coaching experience, who would bring a new voice, new eyes, new approach.”
“He happens to be in your division. Brian Flores is available. Make him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the league and hire him.”
Vikings faithful read the remarks and groaned. Flat-out groaned.
Moving Laterally Is Silly for Flores
A lateral jump to Detroit doesn’t pass the smell test. The idea that Flores would bail on Minnesota to run a different defense across the division requires a pile of assumptions doing heavy lifting — that Detroit is closer, that the money is meaningfully better, that the Vikings would shrug and let him walk. None of that checks out.
If Flores is fielding calls, the only variable that actually matters is leverage. Another offer would force Minnesota to put a number on how much it values defensive stability. History suggests the Vikings owners don’t flinch in those situations. Teams don’t casually let elite coordinators drift, especially ones producing top-tier results with a thin pipeline of premium defensive talent.
Flores has squeezed production out of nothing, at times. Since 2022, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has drafted exactly one true defensive difference-maker: Dallas Turner. Everything else has been coaching — so, Flores. Minnesota won’t let him walk, especially not to Detroit.
SB Nation‘s David Howman wrote Thursday, “Flores has also built a strong bond with head coach Kevin O’Connell, and both coaches cited that relationship in recent comments that hint Flores wants to remain with the Vikings. O’Connell has empowered Flores to run his defense however he sees fit, as well as offering him a crash course in QB Coaching 101, a critical piece to any head coaching candidacy for Flores.”
“Not only does Flores have a perfect situation with the roster and his relationship with O’Connell, but the defensive coordinator is also close with Vikings assistant general manager Ryan Grigson. The former head man in Indianapolis, Grigson has been a confidant for Flores in the front office, and the two have been floated as a head coach/GM pair for any applicable openings around the league. A lateral move to Dallas – or anywhere else, for that matter – would erase all of those factors.”
Head Coach Somewhere? Sure.
Of course, excepting a promotion for Flores as a head coach on a team like the Cincinnati Bengals, Las Vegas Raiders, or even Pittsburgh Steelers if Mike Tomlin is let go — that makes sense.
Flores’ tenure in Miami ended messily when he reportedly refused to accept money to tank games, and after his Miami termination, tomfoolery ensued with franchises like the New York Giants and Denver Broncos during the hiring process. Flores was so irked by the ordeal that he sued the NFL, litigation that remains ongoing today.
If an NFL owner can get over the lawsuit angle, Fores absolutely deserves a head coaching job. The numbers prove he’s the right guy.
But hopping from team to team as a defensive coordinator just doesn’t add up. Valenti’s idea means well and would surely benefit Detroit. It just doesn’t make sense for Flores to move laterally within the business.
The Defensive Production in Minnesota
The numbers speak for themselves regarding Flores’ time in the Twin Cities. The Vikings were reeling from a porous defense when they fired Ed Donatell after the 2022 campaign, hiring Flores to turn the unit around immediately. And he did that.
Here’s the output from Flores:
Vikings Defense,
NFL Ranking,
Per EPA/Play:
2023: 17th
2024: 2nd
2025: 5th
Minnesota has enjoyed a Top 5 defense in back-to-back seasons. Suppose Flores accepts a head coaching job — great. He should get that respect.
But it’s probably a safe bet that he’ll stay with the Vikings if no teams come knocking with a head coaching job. Thankfully, the coaching carousel is mere days from turning white-hot, and the Flores situation will take shape.
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