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Minnesota Vikings News & Rumors

Vikings’ ‘No. 1 Priority’ Will Be Retaining DC Brian Flores

By | at January 13, 2026 9:52 pm

Brian Flores is a coaching free agent. While the Vikings have wanted to extend their three-year defensive coordinator, no deal has emerged. Minnesota has seen HC and DC interest come Flores’ way as this year’s coaching carousel starts.

A report Monday indicated the Vikings were confident they can retain their DC, and Kevin O’Connell has since called doing so the team’s “No. 1 priority.” Flores’ contract officially expires Wednesday, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. Once it does, the Vikings cannot block him from DC interviews.

“I think he’s more than deserving, everything he’s brought to our organization over these last three years,” O’Connell said, via the Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s Emily Leiker. “Not surprised people are wanting to talk to him about that role. Excited for him to do so, all while knowing our No. 1 priority — really before the season even ended — our No. 1 priority has been to get that thing done with him.”

Thus far, Flores has received one HC interview; he met with the Ravens today. The Commanders have made it known they want to meet with him about their DC vacancy. Other teams surely have him on their radar as well.

Flores coached linebackers with the Steelers in 2022, with Pittsburgh becoming a fallback option after the former Dolphins HC sued the NFL and three teams (now four) for discrimination. That lawsuit is ongoing, complicating Flores’ road back to a head coaching opportunity, though Mike Tomlin vacating the Steelers’ HC chair could lead to an interview. Eight other teams are filling their HC posts, and the coordinator carousel will ignite as those top jobs are filled. That will undoubtedly lead to more Flores buzz.

Flores, 44, has indicated an openness to working another deal out with the Vikings. But he has fared well enough as their DC big offers — perhaps on the Vic Fangio level — could emerge soon. If Flores does leave, Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said (via Leiker) he would not expect much scheme change. This could point to DBs coach Daronte Jones — a rumored successor option — being promoted. Jones is, however, in play for the Cowboys and Jets’ DC jobs.

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Vikings Assistant Mike Pettine To Retire

By | at January 13, 2026 5:53 pm

Brian Flores or a Vikings DC successor will not have Mike Pettine around for experienced help in 2026, however. The veteran staffer is retiring, Kevin O’Connell announced Tuesday.

Pettine, 59, has coached in the NFL since 2002. He rose to a head coaching seat in 2014 (with the Browns) and has been a coordinator in a few cities. He had been on O’Connell’s Minnesota staff since 2022, working under Ed Donatell and then Flores as an assistant head coach.

Jumping from the high school level to a Ravens assistant in 2002, Pettine became a defensive coordinator in 2009. The Jets, Bills and Packers employed Pettine as a DC. He started out in that position with the Jets under Rex Ryan. Pettine played a key role in the Jets making back-to-back AFC championship game appearance, as Revis Island formed to bolster Gang Green’s defense-powered operation in Ryan’s early years. Pettine stayed on as New York’s DC for four seasons before moving to Buffalo under Doug Marrone. Following that season, the Browns concluded a slow-moving HC search by naming him their next leader.

Pettine’s first year in Cleveland (2014) brought some unexpected success. Despite Jimmy Haslam overreach leading to a Johnny Manziel first-round selection, Pettine had the Browns — who were without top receiver Josh Gordon for most of the 2014 season — at 7-4. Cleveland-area native Brian Hoyer had quarterbacked the Browns to that point, as Manziel needed extensive development before debuting. Pettine’s defense also ranked ninth that season. But Manziel received the call to start near the end of the year. The bottom fell out for the Browns, who finished 7-9, and Pettine’s 2015 season keyed a descent.

On- and off-field Manziel problems engulfed the Browns in 2015 — before the team cut the megabust. After letting Kyle Shanahan out of his OC contract following a 2014 one-off, Cleveland finished 3-13 in Pettine’s second season. The team used Manziel and free agent signing Josh McCown as their primary QBs, and ownership fired he and GM Ray Farmer. Pettine resurfaced with the Seahawks as a consultant in 2017 and with the Packers as their DC by 2018.

In charge of two Packers defenses that appeared in NFC championship games, Pettine lasted three seasons in Green Bay. Pettine’s 2019 and ’20 Green Bay defenses ranked ninth and 13th, respectively, in scoring, but NFC title game letdowns ensued. Raheem Mostert ran wild on the Packers in the 2019 conference championship round, producing the second-most playoff rushing yards in NFL history, and the Packers gave up 31 points to the Tom Brady-piloted Buccaneers a year later in a home loss.

Although the Pack intercepted three Brady passes in the second half of that game, the team did not renew his contract in 2021. He worked as a Bears assistant under Matt Nagy before trekking to Minnesota. Pettine served as outside linebackers coach with the Vikings, who had two Pro Bowl OLBs (Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel) in 2024, over the past two seasons.

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Commanders Want To Interview Brian Flores For DC Job

By | at January 13, 2026 11:33 am

The Commanders have already hired a new offensive coordinator and are now turning to fill their rest of their coaching vacancies.

Their defensive coordinator job is their next crucial hire. The team is looking to bring in Brian Flores to interview for the gig, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. He just completed his three-year contract with the Vikings in the same position. Though he has been seeking another shot as a head coach, his ongoing lawsuit against the league and three teams could be an insurmountable obstacle until it is resolved.

Washington’s defense took a notable step back in 2025 relative to their first year under head coach Dan Quinn and DC Joe Whitt. Quinn took over play-calling duties during the season, which made Whitt’s dismissal after the season no surprise. Flores should be an upgrade. After adjusting to a new team in his debut year in Minnesota, he led a solid defense in 2024 and a great one this past season across the board. The Vikings ranked seventh in points allowed and third in yards allowed in 2025 with Flores’ diverse blitz packages wreaking havoc on opposing offenses. The Commanders, meanwhile, ranked 27th in yards and dead-last in points. Their 19.6% pressure rate was the seventh-lowest mark in the NFL, while the Vikings finished third with a 28.1% pressure rate.

But Flores has already interviewed with the Ravens regarding their head coaching position, and he could draw additional interest as a defensive coordinator now that his contract in Minnesota is up. The Vikings still believe they can retain him, but proving himself with another franchise may strengthen his case for another head coaching job, though it still might have to wait until the lawsuit concludes.

The Commanders are also filling David Blough‘s offensive staff, starting with a quarterbacks coach to work with Jayden Daniels. Panthers assistant quarterbacks coach Mike Bercovici was one of their first candidates, and Falcons quarterbacks coach D.J. Williams has joined the list. Washington submitted a request to interview Williams, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. He is the son of franchise legend Doug Williams, who was named MVP when the team won the Super Bowl at the end of the 1987 season.

D.J. Williams worked as an offensive assistant in New Orleans from 2019 to 2023. In 2024, he joined the Falcons as assistant quarterbacks coach and took over the lead role after T.J. Yates was promoted to pass game coordinator. Michael Penix has shown flashes as a starter in the last two years, but he has lacked consistency. Williams’ family connection with Washington will certainly help his chances, but it will ultimately come down to the team’s belief to get the most out of Daniels.

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Vikings Confident Brian Flores Will Be Back As DC

By | at January 12, 2026 5:56 pm

While Brian Flores‘ contract technically doesn’t expire until after the Super Bowl, the current Vikings defensive coordinator is effectively a free agent. While Flores has generated interest for at least one head coaching job, there’s confidence that he’ll land back in Minnesota if he’s unsuccessful during this year’s hiring cycle.

[RELATED: Ravens To Interview Brian Flores For HC Vacancy]

As Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes, the Vikings “remain confident” that Flores will be back on their sideline in 2026, barring him getting a head coaching gig. Florio even suggests that the organization may already have a tentative deal lined up for Flories, although neither side would commit until the veteran coach exhausts all of his promotion opportunities.

While Flores never held the role of defensive coordinator in New England, he made a name for himself as a defensive wiz during his time with the Patriots. He lost some of his shine following a tumultuous head coaching gig in Miami, but he’s seemingly rehabbed his image thanks to his recent stint as the Vikings defensive coordinator. Following solid showing in 2023 and 2024, Flores’ unit posted top-five numbers in 2025, putting him firmly back on the head coaching map.

Of course, Flores still isn’t generating the same interest as some of his peers. While there were rumblings that Tom Brady could recruit Flores to Las Vegas, the veteran coach has only generated one definitive interview with the Ravens. While a lack of interviews would increase Flores’ chances of sticking in Minny, Albert Breer of SI.com says the defensive coordinator is actually a “strong fit” for the Baltimore job. As Breer notes, the Ravens will be seeking a coach who fits “the franchise as much as the franchise will morph to the new coach,” and Flores would apparently be a good match for Baltimore’s operation.

On the flip side, Flores’ pending lawsuit against the NFL could dissuade suitors from pursuing him as a head coach. Flores’ claims against the league and three teams – the Broncos, the Giants, and the Texans – revolve around the coach’s belief that those organizations allegedly conducted sham head coaching interviews to comply with the Rooney Rule. The NFL recently filed a petition for writ of certiorari with SCOTUS in an effort to keep all of Flores’ claims in arbitration rather than open court. This would further delay any trial or hearing on the merits of the suit, which Flores initiated nearly four years ago.

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Cowboys Denied Request To Interview Falcons DC Jeff Ulbrich; Matt Patricia On Radar?

By | at January 9, 2026 9:33 pm

JANUARY 9: According to Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News, the Cowboys concluded their interviews with Jones and Banda today, and Leonhard’s interview will take place tomorrow.

JANUARY 8: Now in the market for a defensive coordinator to replace the fired Matt Eberflus, the Cowboys struck out in their attempt to interview Falcons D-coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. The Falcons denied their request, Jordan Schultz reports.

The firing of head coach Raheem Morris has left Ulbrich and Atlanta’s other assistants in limbo. It’s unclear if any of them will return, but Falcons owner Arthur Blank has made it clear he doesn’t want to lose Ulbrich.

If Blank has his way, Ulbrich will remain the Falcons’ defensive coordinator under their next head coach, per Schultz. However, Blank will leave Ulbrich’s future up to Morris’ successor. If that individual doesn’t want to retain Ulbrich, he may end up with the Cowboys or another team in the next few weeks.

While Ulbrich is not a candidate for Dallas right now, other possibilities have emerged. The Cowboys have also requested interviews with Vikings defensive pass game coordinator Daronte Jones, Broncos assistant HC/pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard and Browns safeties coach Ephraim Banda, according to Todd Archer of ESPN. The team has since received permission to interview Leonhard, per Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette. The Cowboys’ list of potential Eberflus replacements will extend beyond those names, Archer adds.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Wednesday that the team would consider hiring a first-time defensive coordinator (via Archer). It so happens that nobody from the Daronte Jones-Leonhard-Banda trio has held that position in the NFL. However, they’ve all worked as college D-coordinators.

Jones, LSU’s coordinator in 2021, has garnered pro coaching experience with the Dolphins, Bengals and Vikings since 2016. He began his second Vikings stint in 2022, the first year of the Kevin O’Connell era, and has worked under DC Brian Flores since 2023. The 47-year-old Jones interviewed with the Bears and Saints for their DC openings last winter, but those teams passed. He’s now regarded as a potential replacement for Flores, whose contract is up. Flores could leave for another DC job (perhaps in Dallas, which is reportedly interested) or a head coaching gig.

Leonhard, a former NFL defensive back, coordinated Wisconsin’s defense from 2017-22. He made his pro coaching debut in joining Sean Payton‘s staff in Denver a year ago. The 43-year-old Leonhard aided a Broncos defense that finished the 2025 regular season seventh against the pass.

Banda, the former co-DC at Miami and ex-DC at Utah State, has been the Browns’ safeties coach since 2023. The Browns fired head coach Kevin Stefanski, which leaves the 44-year-old’s Banda’s future murky. However, Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is in the running to take over for Stefanski. If that happens, it may give Banda a better chance of remaining in Cleveland.

While the Cowboys would like to meet with Banda, they could also turn their attention elsewhere in the state of Ohio. Matt Patricia, Ohio State’s DC, is a name to watch in the Cowboys’ search, Albert Breer of SI.com relays.

Patricia, who’s coming off his first year with the Buckeyes, was Bill Belichick‘s defensive coordinator in New England from 2012-17 before a rough three-year run as the Lions’ head coach. He most recently worked in the NFL in 2023 as a senior defensive assistant with the Eagles.

Hiring Patricia would give the Cowboys a sixth straight DC with previous NFL head coaching experience. Before Eberflus’ one-year stint, Mike Zimmer, Dan Quinn, Mike Nolan and Rod Marinelli (another ex-Lions HC) held the role for various periods.

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Jets Request DC Interview With Vikings’ Daronte Jones

By | at January 8, 2026 9:23 pm

Chris Harris replaced Steve Wilks as the Jets defensive coordinator late in the season and will have an opportunity to retain his role. However, that won’t stop Aaron Glenn from considering other options for the job. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jets have requested an interview with Vikings passing game coordinator/DB coach Daronte Jones.

[RELATED: Jets Unlikely To Fire OC Tanner Engstrand; Chris Harris Keeping DC Job In Play]

The 47-year-old coach has bounced around a bit in recent years. He had two-year coaching stints with the Dolphins and Bengals before his first stint in Minnesota in 2020. After serving as the Vikings defensive backs coach under Mike Zimmer for one season, Jones left to become LSU’s defensive coordinator in 2021.

Brian Kelly ended up not keeping him around for a second season, and Jones ended up returning to the Vikings on Kevin O’Connell‘s staff. Jones spent one year as the DBs coach before earning a promotion to defensive pass game coordinator in 2023.

The coach has been involved in the DC cycle for the past few offseasons. He interviewed for the Giants job in 2024, and he was a candidate for the Bears, Jaguars, and Saints gigs in 2025. We heard earlier tonight that the Cowboys had also requested permission to interview him for their defensive coordinator job, and there have been rumblings that he could just earn a promotion to the role in Minnesota if Brian Flores ends up leaving.

Harris only had a brief stint as the Jets interim DC, and he didn’t build much of a case to keep the job in 2026. The Jets gave up 35 first-half points to the Patriots in Week 17 before allowing a Bills team without Josh Allen to score 35 in the regular season finale.

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Ravens To Interview Brian Flores For HC Vacancy

By | at January 8, 2026 2:10 pm

The Ravens are planning to interview Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores for their head coaching vacancy, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz and Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

Flores, 44, has led Minnesota’s defense for the past three seasons. After solid efforts in 2023 and 2025, the unit posted top-five numbers in 2025, making him one of the hottest defensive coaches on the market. His contract with the Vikings is set to expire, and though the team would prefer to retain him, Flores is looking for a second chance as a head coach after a controversial stint in Miami.

Flores was hired by the Dolphins in 2019 after rising through the ranks of the Patriots’ coaching staff under Bill Belichick. However, Flores never had a coordinator job before taking the head coaching gig in Miami, an early sign that he may not be prepared for the top job. The Dolphins went 5-11 in his first year before improving to 10-6 in his second. Regression to 9-8 – as well as a fraught relationship with Tua Tagovailoa and clashes with owner Stephen Ross – led to Flores’ departure from Miami after the 2022 season. The latter conflict, along with subsequent supposed ‘sham’ interviews with other teams, were the basis of Flores’ ongoing lawsuit against the NFL and several teams.

That will be Flores’ main roadblock to landing a head coaching gig. Not only are there some questions about his leadership in Miami, but teams may be hesitant to hire a coach with an open case against the league. The Giants are one of the teams he is suing, ruling him out of consideration for that job, but the Ravens are not on that list. Owner Steve Bisciotti may be cautious of a coach who revealed past private conversations with an owner, though part of Flores’ issue with Ross was Ross’ alleged desire for the Dolphins to tank for Tagovailoa in 2019.

Otherwise, Flores seems to be a fine fit for Baltimore. He spoke glowingly of Lamar Jackson before the two squared off earlier this season, suggesting he could could get along better with the two-time MVP than he did with Tagovailoa. Flores’ scheme also creates pressure rather than relying on a four-man pass rush, which has been a weakness in Baltimore for a few years. While general manager Eric DeCosta will surely look to upgrade his pass rush this offseason, Flores would offer an immediate path to opposing quarterbacks. Solidifying the Ravens defense while finding an offensive coordinator to work with Jackson could be a path for the team to immediately return to Super Bowl contention in 2026.

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2026 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

By | at January 7, 2026 9:50 pm

The Browns, Cardinals, Falcons and Raiders followed the Giants and Titans in firing head coaches, making those calls between the Week 18 conclusion and Black Monday. The Ravens then moved on from John Harbaugh after 18 seasons; two days later, the Dolphins canned Mike McDaniel. Following a wild-card loss, the Steelers and Mike Tomlin are separating after 19 years. Now, after an overtime divisional-round loss in Denver, Sean McDermott is out in Buffalo.

The 10 HC openings are tied with 1978, 1997, 2006 and 2022 for the most in one year. Here are the candidates connected to all those searches. If more teams make changes, they will be added to the list.

Updated 2-9-26 (9:40pm CT)

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

12 comments Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New York Giants PFR Originals Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Tennessee Titans

NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/7/26

By | at January 7, 2026 9:37 pm

Today saw four teams establish reserve/futures deals for next year:

Cincinnati Bengals

  • WR Dohnte Meyers

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Washington Commanders

1 comment Cincinnati Bengals Minnesota Vikings New Orleans Saints New York Giants San Francisco 49ers Transactions Washington Commanders

NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/5/26

By | at January 5, 2026 8:00 pm

We’ve got our first batch of reserve/futures contracts to pass along. These moves allow organizations to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players. Here are the latest transactions:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

  • OT Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan, WR Cornelius Johnson, DT David Olajiga, DB Amani Oruwariye, G Jared Penning, DB Marquise Robinson, LB Kaimon Rucker, FB Lucas Scott

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

  • CB Dalys Beanum, CB Beanie Bishop, WR Elijah Cooks, S Elliott Davison, DT Coziah Izzard, OT Easton Kilty, CB Jayden Price, OT Barry Wesley

New York Giants

New York Jets

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

1 comment Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Dallas Cowboys Detroit Lions Indianapolis Colts Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders Minnesota Vikings New Orleans Saints New York Giants New York Jets Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans Transactions Washington Commanders
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