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When the Minnesota Vikings were officially eliminated from the playoffs after an ugly series of losses down the stretch, attention rapidly shifted to the fate of Brian Flores, the team’s long-time defensive coordinator who has been waiting for a new head coaching gig since being fired by the Miami Dolphins back in 2021.
With nine head coaching jobs now open following Mike Tomlin’s decision to step down as the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, Vikings fans have openly wondered if there will be another coach calling the defense opposite Kevin O’Connell’s offense this fall, or if Minnesota will be able to make an 11th-hour swing to keep him in town.
Asked if the Vikings are concerned that Flores didn’t re-sign in the spring and could leave for another opportunity, O’Connell told reporters he believes in the team’s chances to retain his defensive coordinator, as they will be financially aggressive in keeping him in the fold.
“I don’t particularly take it any kind of way,” O’Connell told reporters via ESPN. “I mean, whether it was trying to get something done in training camp [or] trying to get out in front of kind of this period before people would be able to talk to him about a similar role with their teams.
“You don’t see a lot of players signing free agency before free agency starts sometimes, because they want to know what their market is, and they want to be able to totally clarify that. We were very much being aggressive to try to get something done with him, but at the same time want to be respectful and make sure he can go through whatever process. … But, based upon my conversations, I have a lot of confidence we’re going to be able to get something done with him as our defensive coordinator.”
As things presently stand, Flores has been a fairly popular name on the coaching market, with the Baltimore Ravens scheduling a head coaching interview with the 44-year-old and a pair of NFC East teams looking into his availability as a defensive coordinator. While Flores may be willing to leave for a head coaching gig, especially with a team like the Ravens, if that isn’t an option, the Vikings have a chance to pay up and ensure they keep one of the best defensive minds in the business on their lineup for at least one more season.
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