Pins are Getting Knocked Down as Brian Flores Remains Standing
Soon enough, there is going to be clarity surrounding Brian Flores. The defensive coordinator for the past trio of seasons remains a coveted coach around the NFL, a workplace where several job openings are getting filled.
The NFL had a whopping ten openings, nearly a third of the league’s thirty-two teams. So far, four of those openings have been filled: Robert Saleh in Tennessee, John Harbaugh in New York, Kevin Stefanski in Atlanta, and Jeff Hafley in Miami. Readers with a keen eye will note that Baltimore and Pittsburgh remain fair game, meaning Coach Flores could still get stolen away.
Brian Flores & The NFL HC Openings
For elusive reasons, Pittsburgh has interest in hiring Mike McCarthy — who previously led Green Bay and Dallas — to become the next head coach.
Consider the update from Tom Pelissero: “Super Bowl-winning coach Mike McCarthy will interview Wednesday with the Steelers, per sources. McCarthy was a candidate for the Titans before withdrawing Monday morning and has turned down other inquiries. He’s focused on Pittsburgh, where he’s considered a strong candidate.”
Oftentimes, teams like to pivot off of the previous coach toward someone with a different outlook, emphasis, and background.
Mike Tomlin (fun fact) was the Vikings’ defensive coordinator before becoming Pittsburgh’s head coach. Nearly two decades of being led by a defense-first head coach could make someone with a background on offense — such as McCarthy — appealing. There’s even a history of working alongside Aaron Rodgers since the pair won a Super Bowl together in Wisconsin.
Still, the McCarthy move would be underwhelming. An argument could be made that he got setup with a near perfect situation in Green Bay before underperforming based on what was available to him, which is to say nothing of the befuddling Cowboys playoff losses.
Adam Schefter offers some more background on what’s going on in Pittsburgh: “Steelers are interviewing Vikings DC Brian Flores today for their HC job, and former Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy on Wednesday. Minnesota has been pushing to bring back Flores, and if he doesn’t land a head coaching job, would have a good chance at retaining him.”
Meanwhile, Baltimore is working through its options.
If one buys the pivot theory — teams like moving away from what they had in the former head coach — then the Ravens are hard to pin down. John Harbaugh is unique since his most notable experience prior to being a Super Bowl-winning head coach was coaching special teams. The common back-and-forth from offense to defense, defense to offense therefore becomes trickier when making an educated guess.
Brian Flores, a defensive tactician who does a nice job of connecting with and leading his players, would be a good get for the Ravens.
At this stage, the status of Brian Flores remains mysterious. He’s clearly excellent as a defensive coordinator and had some success leading Miami as a head coach.
Consider, as well, that his résumé is unique insofar as he has worked as a scout alongside being a coach who worked on offense and special teams before settling into being a defensive mastermind. Not too many coaches have such a diversity of backgrounds, dipping their toes into essentially all facets of football. Does that make Brian Flores uniquely-qualified to be a top coach yet again?
Flores, 44, is the desired DC for the Minnesota Vikings in 2026. If there’s no head coach job, then that’s the expectation. Some more pins need to get knocked down before clarity arrives, so stay tuned.
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