Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Brian Flores aren’t strangers. They’ll be reacquainted soon when the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator interviews to be Mike Tomlin’s sideline successor.
The Steelers requested to talk to Flores on Wednesday as they began to compile their list of options.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio has done some research with several executives and coaches around the league, gauging Flores’ prospects as a head coach candidate in this cycle. Flores previously served as the Miami Dolphins’ head coach from 2019-21.
“There are questions about how it went, how it ended in Miami,” Florio said during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday. “There are, when you start scratching the surface about whether or not his Belichickian style ruffled feathers in Minnesota. Depending on who you talk to, it could be there were some people there that aren’t thrilled with how he conducts himself and coaches and interacts with others.”
Flores filed a discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and three teams in 2022, alleging systemic racial discrimination by the league and the teams. By doing so, it seemed he made himself unapproachable for any teams, but the Tomlin and the Steelers took him in as a senior defensive assistant.
“The Steelers were the one who, that same year, that same cycle, after he didn’t get the Texans’ head coaching job — he was a finalist there — the Steelers brought him in as an assistant,” Florio said. “So they’ve already shown the willingness to do something that cuts against the NFL grain, and they legitimized, at least, his role as an assistant coach.
“So I think if anybody would do it, the Steelers would do it, because they’ve already done something that you wouldn’t have expected them to do. And if he’s the right guy for the job, and they like him, I wouldn’t be surprised at all.”
Florio believes Steelers president Art Rooney II won’t factor anything else in if he feels that Flores is the best choice.
“I think Art Rooney has the courage to do it if he thinks it’s the right thing to do,” Florio said. “And I think his mindset and his edge, that’s kinda what they’re always looking for as a head coach with the Steelers.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Insider Names Hiring He ‘Wouldn’t Be Surprised By’ For Steelers HC Job
