Brian Flores has made somewhat of a commitment to the Minnesota Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings' offseason plans are essentially on hold until they get closure at their defensive coordinator position. But Tuesday somewhat helped Minnesota come closer to a solution. But at the same time, there’s still uncertainty.
According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, the Vikings have signed defensive coordinator Brian Flores to a new contract, meaning he will remain with the team unless he lands one of the Steelers or Ravens head coaching jobs that are still open.
Interestingly enough, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced they had completed an in-person interview with Brian Flores on Wednesday. It was the Steelers' first in-person interview during their head coaching search since Mike Tomlin stepped down, which makes the timing more ironic.
Flores spent the 2022 season on Pittsburgh's staff, leading many to believe that he would be a serious contender for the position. It's the second head-coaching job Flores has interviewed for this offseason, after meeting with the Baltimore Ravens.
Prior to that, Flores interviewed for the Washington Commanders' defensive coordinator job last week. That would be a lateral move for him, as he's spent the past three seasons in the same position with the Vikings. But because his contract was up, Flores was free to interview for coordinator jobs as well. Regardless, that’s not a concern anymore given he’s committed to Minnesota if a DC job is what he decides to stick with next season.
The belief is that defensive backs/passing game coordinator Daronte Jones would be the in-house favorite to be promoted to defensive coordinator if Flores leaves for the still looming head coach possibility. But Jones has been fielding interviews as well.
On Tuesday, Ian Rapaport of NFL Network reported that the Green Bay Packers requested an interview with Jones for their defensive coordinator job. That position recently opened when Jeff Hafley, who served as Green Bay's defensive coordinator the past two seasons, was hired as the Miami Dolphins' next head coach this week.
Losing Jones would be tough for Minnesota, especially if Flores leaves. It'd sting even more if he went to Green Bay, the Vikings' biggest rival.
Like Flores, this isn't Jones' first interview of the offseason. He has already had defensive coordinator interviews with the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets this month.
Jones has spent the past four seasons in Minnesota and has worked closely with Flores. Last month, Flores told reporters that Jones is a future coordinator. It had long been believed that Jones would be the ideal replacement for Flores, and the endorsement reinforced that.
Before being hired by the Vikings in 2022 when Kevin O'Connell arrived, Jones spent the 2021 season as LSU's defensive coordinator. Jones served as Minnesota's defensive backs coach on Mike Zimmer's staff in 2020 as well.
2026 is a pivotal offseason for the Vikings, who have yet to win a playoff game under O'Connell. The offense ranked 28th in yards in 2025, while Minnesota's defense ranked third in yards allowed.
Losing Flores and Jones would force the Vikings to rethink their entire defensive philosophy. They lack true star power on that side of the ball, but collectively, the sum of its parts creates one of the league's best units.
But if the Vikings have to replace their top two defensive coaches, they may have to be more aggressive in overhauling their personnel as well. That isn't an insurmountable task, but it would create more questions for a team that is looking for answers as soon as possible.
But luckily for Minnesota, Tuesday brought positive news overall.