NFL Rumors: Vikings’ Brian Flores Is ‘Buzziest Coordinator’ Among League Insiders

Julia StumbaughSeptember 25, 2024

John Rivera/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is the “buzziest coordinator in the league” as a potential future head coach, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano.

Flores previously served as head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019 to 2021 before taking over the Vikings’ defense in 2023.

“Flores is drawing raves for the way he disguises pressures and confuses quarterbacks,” Graziano wrote. “It started last season in Minnesota, but the players are executing it at a much higher level in Year 2 of the system.”

Flores’ defense has so far held opponents to 30 total points through Minnesota’s 3-0 start to the season.

Graziano noted, however, that Flores’ situation is “complicated” by the lawsuit the former head coach filed against the NFL and three teams in 2022, and that it is “hard to imagine an owner hiring a head coach who’s in the middle of suing the league.”

In the lawsuit, which is still pending, Flores alleged the league as well as the Dolphins, Denver Broncos and New York Giants demonstrated racism in their hiring practices.

The Vikings’ defense, which ranked 24th in the NFL in 2022 in terms of DVOA, climbed to 11th in the league in Flores’ first season as DC. Flores told ESPN’s Kevin Seifert that he had nonetheless received no interview requests during the head coach hiring cycle following that campaign.

“And I don’t really have control over that situation. I will say that I’m very happy where I am,” Flores said in April.

When asked if he believed the lawsuit had impacted his chances of being considered for another head coaching job, Flores said, “There’s no way to know. It’s not really something I’m spending a lot of time thinking about. I try to be where my feet are, and that’s here with the Vikings. I try not to worry about things I have no control over.”

Flores led the Dolphins to a 24-25 record before he was fired in 2021 after failing to bring Miami back to the playoffs.

That’s far from the Vikings’ outlook so far in 2024 after opening the season with strong defensive performances against star quarterbacks.

The Vikings defense picked off San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy while sacking him twice and holding him to one touchdown throw in Week 2. They followed that up by intercepting Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud twice, sacking him four times and again allowing just one passing touchdown in Week 3.

Minnesota will be challenged to continue that defensive dominant on Sunday against Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers as the team prepares for Week 4 without Ivan Pace Jr. or Dallas Turner. If Flores can lead the defense to success without those key linebackers, it seems likely his stock as a potential head coach will continue to rise.