Mike McCarthy’s hire in Pittsburgh removed the final obstacle to Brian Flores’ return, keeping the Vikings’ defensive continuity intact for 2026.
The Brian Flores saga in Minnesota appears to be settled for the 2026 season.
There was much speculation that Flores, who had spent the past three years in Minnesota, could leave this offseason. He had interviews for the head coaching vacancies with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. An interview for the Washington Commanders' defensive coordinator job added another layer, as a lateral move would likely signal a disconnect between Flores and the Vikings' organization.
On Wednesday, Minnesota and Flores agreed to a contract extension. But Adam Schefter threw a caveat in his report, saying that Flores would return if he didn't get a head coaching job elsewhere.
That took the Commanders' defensive coordinator job off the table. On Thursday, the Ravens hired former Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter to be their next head coach. That left the Pittsburgh job, seemingly, as the only potential roadblock to a Flores return.
But on Saturday, the Steelers announced they would hire Mike McCarthy, formerly of the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, as their next head coach.
It would have been tough to imagine Flores leaving after signing his new extension. The Vikings themselves announced the news, usually signaling a formality moreso than a verbal agreement behind the scenes.
There are still four teams that are without head coaches, so Flores may not officially be out of the weeds yet. But the fact that we’re entering the final week of January without him lining up any additional interviews suggests that the Steelers and Ravens were his only serious suitors.
The contract extension wasn't the only news surrounding Flores this week. Mike Pettine, who retired this offseason after spending the past four years on the Vikings' staff, shed some light on his relationship, or lack thereof, with Flores.
Pettine joined the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show last week and was asked, "What are your thoughts on Brian Flores?"
"Uh, probably not many that I would prefer to share," Pettine replied. "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.”
Pettine was the Vikings' assistant head coach in all four years and had the "outside linebackers coach" title in 2024 and 2025. Pettine’s comments suggest he moved away from Flores’ defensive staff this past season because they didn't share the same vision on defense.
Flores has had to deal with off-field personality questions before. Tua Tagovailoa, who played for Flores with the Miami Dolphins in 2020 and 2021, publicly called Flores a "terrible person" in August 2024. After his firing from Miami, sources said some players complained about his ability to connect with them.
Pettine's comments suggest that even if Flores has made strides off the field, some of those questions still linger.
The on-field results were tough to argue, as Minnesota ranked 7th in points allowed and 3rd in yards this season. That was despite the Vikings' offense ranking 28th in total yards and 26th in points.
Maybe Flores' personality rubbed Baltimore and Pittsburgh the wrong way, too. No matter why they went in another direction, Flores will be in Minnesota in 2026. If the Vikings' offense can catch up to Flores' defense, the team can make a serious postseason run next year.