Well, that was an interesting quote.
Ex-Vikings coach Mike Pettine appeared on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show and was asked about current Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and their relationship. The two spent three years together on the same staff, and Pettine retired following the 2025 season.
Adam Gerstenhaber asked Pettine, “What are your thoughts on Brian Flores?”
Pettine replied, “Uh, probably not many that I would prefer to share… I mean, we didn’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, and that’s why I spent this past year on offense. I was there in ’23 and ’24 on defense. I’ll take the high road on that one.”
Although Pettine "took the high road," his response is very telling. There were whispers about Flores's inability to connect with players and members of the Miami Dolphins organization, which led to his dismissal.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald outlined some of the issues.
“There were plenty of players who liked and admired Flores, and let’s be clear about that,” Jackson wrote. “But his arrogance and bristling personality rubbed some the wrong way. A close associate of multiple young Dolphins said the players complained to him that, ‘He doesn’t understand dealing with men. He’s not approachable.’
“When Flores saw one young player in recent months, he told him: ‘Don’t come to my office talking about playing time.’ The player had no such intentions. But multiple sources said he treated players different ways; a veteran such as Jason McCourty wouldn’t be treated with that same heavy hand. ‘He was stern with some but joked around with some guys,’ the source said. ‘It was hard to read him.'”
Flores signed a deal to return to Minnesota as their defensive coordinator, but is not excluded from signing elsewhere as a head coach. Pittsburgh interviewed Flores on Tuesday for the open position.
While it's hard to draw any conclusions from Pettine's comments and Flores's time in Miami, the comments and story do seem to reinforce a similar sentiment. One would think Flores would be an ideal head coach with the desirable positions available. However, what if the red flags of butting heads with the staff and players have put Flores in a position of not being desired?
Pettine just "retired" two weeks ago, but his small comment speaks volumes about the situation with Flores in Minnesota. For what it's worth, there is no shortage of Vikings staff members, including head coach Kevin O'Connell, who sing his praises.
Plus, the organization made re-signing him a priority. It can't be that bad, right?