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Most productive players and coaches in the NFL do not enter the final season of their contracts without an extension, but that happened to Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Accordingly, onlookers weren’t too sure if the Vikings wanted him back — or vice versa. But based on some reporting last week from NFL Network‘s Tom Pelissero, Flores’ future is less mysterious. Minnesota, indeed, wants him back.
The smoke has been there for months, but Pelissero’s wording makes it feel more like a timetable issue than a guessing game.
A Flores extension will evidently be high on the Vikings’ offseason priority list, a to-do docket that is only about two weeks away.
Brian Flores Contract Is a Vikings Priority
Flores might be back in 2026 after all.
He wrote late last week, “Vikings have experienced a mess of injuries — including to quarterback J.J. McCarthy, whose development was a priority after he missed his entire rookie season because of meniscus surgery. (McCarthy has played better in recent weeks and now is 4-4 as the starter.)”
“Minnesota has many decisions to make this offseason with an expensive, veteran roster. Another issue to address: Defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ contract is up after the season. The Vikings hope to work out a deal to retain him.”
Until that tidbit, most onlookers assumed Minnesota wanted Flores back, but the last 10 months have brought no serious mentions of an extension. We’re finally at that point of the Flores extension discussion.
The Head Coach Carousel First?
The only thing that really makes sense about why the Vikings and Flores never locked in an extension is Flores’ desire to lead a team as a head coach again. His tenure in Miami ended controversially after the 2021 season; so did the interview process with the New York Giants and Denver Broncos in 2022. Flores is actively suing the NFL over these items.
But Flores got a few nibbles during last year’s head coaching carousel. Perhaps this cycle will become his first trip back to the big job since 2021.
Otherwise, Minnesota not locking Flores down with an extension at any time in the last year just doesn’t add up.
said about Flores’ future earlier this month, “My sense has been that he’s going to play this out, or at least going to look around and say, ‘Is there a head coaching job? Is there a coordinator job that I would prefer? He likes his job here a lot, but the best time to negotiate, to extract leverage from your situation, is when you are open to other suitors.”
“If you are trying to get yourself in a better financial situation, the best time to do that is when there’s the possibility you could leave. It creates enough leverage for you to come back and say, ‘Hey, I’d like a bump here.’ So I think all of that, seeing if he wants to be a head coach again, seeing where his career may go, he does have the opportunity to explore that. And the sense I’ve had this year is that he has planned to do that.”
The Defensive Production
Why would the Vikings want Flores back in 2026? Simple — he’s an aggressive defensive maestro who instantly improved the defense and has not regressed. His run defense is a bit shaky this season, but on the whole, Minnesota is a better franchise when Flores runs the defense.
These are the numbers since Flores signed on the Vikings’ dotted line in 2023 per defensive EPA/Play in the form of NFL rankings:
- 2023: 17th
- 2024: 2nd
- 2025: 8th
Or a simpler way to think of it:
Vikings Defense,
per EPA/Play:
NFL Ranking:
The 3 Years before Brian Flores: 20th
The 3 Years with Brian Flores: 3rd
The man has made the team better; plain and simple.
Cincinnati Might Make the Most Sense for Flores
The Bengals are headed for a second straight postseason miss, and that usually forces change. After seven seasons under Zac Taylor, Cincinnati could be set to rebalance, shifting power away from an offense-first identity that has stalled and toward a defense that has quietly slipped into liability territory.
Joe Burrow’s presence allows the pivot. The offense doesn’t need babysitting. The offense needs maintenance. That reality opens the door for a defensive-minded head coach — one capable of stabilizing a unit that has lagged behind the team’s franchise quarterback window. Flores fits that profile to a tee, bringing immediate credibility and structure to a side of the ball that needs both.
There’s also a connective thread. Bengals assistant general manager Trey Brown came up through New England’s scouting ranks alongside Flores roughly 15 years ago. That shared background matters in moments like this, when trust, philosophy, and familiarity often shape the final decision as much as scheme or résumé.
If not, Minnesota will welcome the man back with open arms, according to Pelissero.