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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.

4 comments Minnesota Vikings Washington Commanders

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.

3 comments Baltimore Ravens Minnesota Vikings

NFL Appeals Portion Of Brian Flores Lawsuit To SCOTUS

By | at January 11, 2026 11:52 am

A portion of Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL and a handful of its clubs may be heading to the United States Supreme Court. Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the league has filed a petition for writ of certiorari with SCOTUS in an effort to keep all of Flores’ claims in arbitration rather than open court.

In August, Flores’ claims against the league and three teams – the Broncos, the Giants, and the Texans – were allowed to proceed to court rather than remain in arbitration. In affirming that decision and ruling against the NFL, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals reasoned that Flores never signed contracts with mandatory arbitration language with those clubs (the basis for his claims against those three teams is that they allegedly conducted sham head coaching interviews to comply with the Rooney Rule). 

On the other hand, because Flores and co-Plaintiffs Steve Wilks and Ray Horton had signed contracts with the Dolphins, Cardinals, and Titans, respectively, and because those deals included a mandatory arbitration provision, the claims against that trio of teams remained in the purview of Peter Harvey, the arbitrator whom commissioner Roger Goodell appointed.

The NFL sought a rehearing of the Second Circuit’s decision – originally made by a three-judge panel – before the court’s full 13-judge bench, but that request was denied. Left with no other alternative, the league is now seeking review from the highest court in the land.

Of course, the Supreme Court grants only a small fraction of the petitions for writ of certiorari it receives each year. The NFL has presented the following question for review: 

Whether an arbitration agreement governing disputes in a professional sports league is categorically unenforceable under the Federal Arbitration Act because it designates the league commissioner as the default arbitrator and permits the commissioner to develop arbitral procedures.

By narrowing the scope of the question to professional sports leagues, the league is allowing the court – if it chooses to hear the case – to narrow the scope of its eventual holding in the same way. In other words, even if the court rules in the league’s favor, it would not necessarily be greenlighting CEOs of all industries to preside over arbitration claims involving their companies in the same way that Goodell (or his designee) has presided over arbitration claims involving the NFL.

The NFL’s petition will further delay any trial or hearing on the merits of the suit, which Flores initiated nearly four years ago. In the meantime, Flores’ coaching career is still going strong.

The 44-year-old just finished a successful three-year run as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator, and now that he is out of contract, he and Minnesota are discussing a new deal. Though he has been mentioned as a candidate for the Raiders’ head coaching vacancy, only the Ravens have put in a formal HC interview request as of the time of this writing.

20 comments Denver Broncos Houston Texans New York Giants

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.

13 comments Baltimore Ravens Minnesota Vikings

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

Brian Flores, Brian Daboll On Raiders’ Radar?

By | at January 5, 2026 2:14 pm

The Raiders have fired a coach for the third time since Halloween 2023, making the expected move to oust Pete Carroll following a 3-14 season. Las Vegas is expectedly retaining GM John Spytek, and Tom Brady will of course be a central figure as the team pursues new sideline leadership.

The first of these recent HC firings removed Josh McDaniels from his position, with GM Dave Ziegler and OC Mick Lombardi booted as well. That effectively ended the Patriot Way in Las Vegas, but Brady’s arrival a year later may change that. Brady may be looking at some of his former coaches this time around.

Rumblings around the NFL have introduced Brian Flores as a candidate to become the next Raiders HC, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio writes, with Brian Daboll on the OC radar. Following that report, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson floated Flores and Daboll as staff options for the Raiders. Brady has a history with both.

Flores, 44, coached in New England from 2008-18, closing his chapter with a dominant defensive performance in Super Bowl LIII. With Flores as the de facto Patriot DC, the Rams scored three points in that game to give Brady a low bar to clear en route to his sixth Super Bowl win. The Dolphins soon hired Flores as HC.

Daboll, 50, enjoyed two stints with the Patriots. He was part of Bill Belichick‘s first staff back in 2000 and stayed on through 2006, collecting three Super Bowl rings during that period and ending his run as Pats wide receivers coach. Daboll returned to add two more rings while working as New England’s tight ends coach from 2013-16.

Flores has appeared on the HC carousel previously, though perhaps not as much as someone with his experience and credentials should have. Regarded as a top-tier defensive coordinator, Flores is presently suing the NFL and four teams for racial discrimination. A ruling this past summer will allow that lawsuit to proceed to open court, representing new territory for the league. A team hiring Flores as HC under these circumstances may be challenging to envision, and even conducting interviews may meet obstacles based on where the Vikings DC’s lawsuit is headed.

In Minnesota since 2023, Flores no longer has a Vikings contract. Mutual interest exists between the parties to continue working together, but Flores is a coaching free agent. This means the Vikes cannot block a lateral move, with SI.com’s Albert Breer noting DC-needy teams may pursue him. Flores could potentially be a defensive coordinator option in Vegas, depending on the team’s offer, but it would be expected he receives multiple lucrative proposals to leave Minnesota to lead a defense.

The Vikings ranked seventh in scoring defense this season and allowed the third-fewest yards. The latter number represents a significant improvement after a 16th-place finish in 2024. Flores could certainly challenge Vic Fangio to become the NFL’s highest-paid DC; that number is believed to be near $5MM. The Vikings will probably need to go near or beyond that territory to retain Flores.

Flores and Brady are believed to have a good relationship, per Florio, who adds the former Dolphins HC was onboard with bringing in Brady — assuming he kept the Miami job beyond the 2021 season. But Flores’ ensuing lawsuit bombshell and tanking allegations against Stephen Ross scuttled the Dolphins’ rumored plan to bring in Brady — amid retirement No. 1 — and Sean Payton in 2022. Brady circling back to Flores after that would be interesting, and Mark Davis signing off on more ex-Patriots staffers would qualify as unusual given how poorly the McDaniels-Ziegler experiment went. But Davis has entrusted Brady with plenty of responsibility since the NFL approved his minority stake.

It is quite possible Flores will be stuck on the coordinator level thanks to his lawsuit. Teams will be leery of meeting with him after he used private conversations with owners as ammunition to craft a lawsuit, ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert adds. Part of Flores’ lawsuit touches on the Giants hiring Daboll over him in 2022. That pair of ex-Belichick lieutenants reuniting in Vegas would be quite interesting through that lens.

Daboll, however, is on track to receive OC interest after three-plus years as the Giants’ HC. Daboll has been an NFL OC on four occasions, and he called Giants plays in 2024. The recently fired HC’s experience will be a plus for coordinator interest, and the Raiders will surely not be the only team to call him in for an interview. Whichever OC candidate lands that job could soon be working with a quarterback drafted first overall.

22 comments Las Vegas Raiders

Brian Flores Addresses Vikings Future

By | at December 30, 2025 2:59 pm

With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, the Vikings are at risk of losing defensive coordinator Brian Flores in the coming weeks. Hoping to prevent Flores from joining another coaching staff, the Vikings are discussing a new deal with him. Head coach Kevin O’Connell said Monday that “[Flores] enjoys being here.” Flores confirmed as much on Tuesday (via Kevin Seifert of ESPN).

“I love Minnesota. I love this team. I love working for and with KO,” said Flores, who went on to compliment ownership, the players and the coaching staff.

While it’s clear Flores wouldn’t have a problem staying in Minnesota for a fourth season in 2026, he acknowledged there’s a “business part of this.” That suggests the money will have to line up for Flores to re-sign, which is hardly surprising.

Whether he re-ups with the Vikings or heads elsewhere (the Cowboys are reportedly interested), Flores figures to be among the NFL’s highest-paid defensive coordinators next year. His defense, which ranks fifth in yards and 10th in points, has lifted the Vikings to an 8-8 record this season despite a bottom-of-the-barrel offense.

Even if a new contract materializes with the Vikings, there’s no guarantee Flores will remain in Minnesota next year. It’s likely the 44-year-old has done enough to garner interest from teams searching for a head coach, as he did last winter in interviewing with the Bears, Jaguars and Jets.

During the upcoming hiring cycle, Flores would be one of the most established defensive coaches available as part of a market that won’t feature many high-end offensive-minded candidates. It should help Flores’ cause that he isn’t a neophyte as an NFL head coach. Flores went 24-25 with the Dolphins from 2019-21, a three-year span in which he guided them to two seasons over .500.

After Miami cut ties with Flores, he filed a civil suit against the league and multiple teams alleging racial discrimination in their hiring practices. Flores hasn’t gotten another chance as a head coach since, but that could change over the next month.

A potential Flores exit may lead to an in-house promotion for the Vikings, who could select passing game coordinator Daronte Jones as his successor. Executives around the league expect Jones to take over the Vikings’ defense if Flores leaves, Mike Sando of The Athletic reports. Jones “made a strong impression” interviewing for multiple D-coordinator openings last offseason, according to Sando. The 47-year-old is in his second stint with the Vikings and has been part of their O’Connell-led staff since 2022.

4 comments Minnesota Vikings

Vikings Discussing New Deal With DC Brian Flores

By | at December 29, 2025 3:23 pm

With Brian Flores on an expiring contract, Week 18 could mark the end of his time with the Vikings. If the team has its way, though, that will not be the case.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell said on Monday conversations have taken place with Flores about his future. He repeated the team’s stance that Minnesota aims to keep Flores in the fold for 2026 and beyond. O’Connell is well aware, however, that head coaching interest is likely during this year’s cycle.

“I know he enjoys being here,” O’Connell said of Flores (via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert). “I know I’m excited about when… hopefully I can come to this podium and say he’s going to be here for as long as we can keep him here before another team makes him their head coach.”

The possibility exists Flores will depart for a different defensive coordinator gig. The Cowboys were named as a potential suitor on that front yesterday. O’Connell said, however, that he does not anticipate such a scenario playing out this winter. Alternatively, a new round of head coaching interest could see Flores land the chance to lead an NFL staff for the second time in his career. O’Connell admitted interest on that front will likely be strong again.

After being fired by the Dolphins, Flores launched a civil suit against the NFL and multiple teams alleging racial discrimination in its hiring practices. Following one year out of coaching, the 44-year-old was hired by O’Connell as part of his initial Vikings staff. Flores has remained with Minnesota since then, and the team’s defense is on track to finish top 10 in points allowed for the second year in a row.

A number of coaches with a defensive background are set to be among the top candidates for the 2026 hiring cycle. That will include Flores, who met with three teams last winter about their HC spot but did not receive any offers. That could change soon but if not, he will be welcomed back to Minnesota.

“Yeah, things are in a really positive place right now,” O’Connell added. “I absolutely want Brian Flores to be the defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings as long as we can have him.”

6 comments Minnesota Vikings

Cowboys Interested In Brian Flores For DC Position

By | at December 28, 2025 12:44 pm

We recently heard that Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is on an expiring contract, and that Minnesota wants to re-sign him. While teams with head coach openings are expected to pursue Flores, at least one rival team in need of a new DC could target him as well.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, there is “increasing chatter” that the Cowboys will be squarely in the mix for Flores’ services. Dallas appears likely to fire incumbent defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus at season’s end, as his unit has effectively counteracted the elite performance of the team’s offense and has kept the Cowboys out of the playoffs.

Obviously, the late-August trade of All-Pro edge defender Micah Parsons helped undermine Eberflus’ efforts, but the former Bears HC was never able to find his footing this season, even after the trade deadline acquisitions of Quinnen Williams and Logan Wilson. Indeed, Wilson’s lack of usage in Week 17 seemed to ruffle owner Jerry Jones’ feathers.

The Vikings are something of a mirror image of the Cowboys. Flores’ defense ranks in the top-10 in both yards and points, whereas the club’s lackluster offense has been the primary culprit in its exclusion from the playoff field. But while Florio leaves open the possibility that Jones could open his checkbook and make Flores an offer he cannot refuse, the strong defense that Flores has established in Minnesota is a far cry from the overhaul the Dallas unit appears to require. 

Speculatively, it would seem as if Flores would only leave the Vikings if he receives a head coaching offer, since he could be taking more of a risk vis-a-vis his HC stock if he were to go elsewhere. However, Florio also suggests Flores’ interpersonal style inherited from his days working under Bill Belichick with the Patriots may mean Minnesota does not truly want him back, reports to the contrary notwithstanding. If that’s the case, then he presumably would be willing to take a DC post with another club.

On the other hand, Florio does say Flores’ personality complements the more easygoing nature of Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, whose opinion about one of his top staffers should certainly carry a great deal of weight. If O’Connell wants Flores to return, and if Flores does not land an HC gig, it would be fair to expect him back in Minnesota in 2026.

28 comments Dallas Cowboys Minnesota Vikings

Brian Flores’ Contract Expires After Season; Vikings Looking To Re-Up

By | at December 27, 2025 11:58 am

Brian Flores‘ contract with the Vikings expires this offseason, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.

Unsurprisingly, the team would like to keep Flores in Minnesota, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. However, Flores is expected to receive interest in other head coaching jobs. He interviewed with the Bears, Jaguars, and Jets last offseason and has likely raised his stock further with the Vikings’ strong defensive showing this year.

Flores, 44, came aboard in 2023 and his unit finished 13th in scoring and 16th in total defense. The next year, they ranked fifth in the former and stayed at 16th in the latter. This season, the Vikings have surrendered just 4.8 yards per play and 292.7 yards per game, the fifth-lowest marks in the league, while their 20.6 points per game ranks 10th.

Flores’ blitz-heavy defense is uniquely suited to disrupt opposing passing games, which have averaged just 168.8 yards per game against Minnesota. His players have spoken glowingly of both the creativity of his scheme and his ability to implement and teach it.

Perceptions of Flores around the league may have changed in the wake of the Dolphins’ struggles over the last few years, Jones also noted. Clashes with owner Stephen Ross and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa signaled that Flores’ personality might not be conducive to a head coaching job, but it become clear that he was not the only – and perhaps not even the biggest – problem in Miami.

Flores’ ongoing class-action suit against the NFL and several teams is another factor in his candidacy for head coaching gigs. One of those teams is the Giants, who have one of the two current head coaching vacancies in the league, which immediately rules him out for that job. Others beyond the Titans’ could become available

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