Brian Flores, the Vikings’ coordinator, has been generating significant buzz in the NFL. However, there’s a twist to his newfound prominence.
The Minnesota Vikings are 3-0 to begin the 2024 NFL season. They have been very impressive on both sides of the ball, a surprising outcome given the personnel each side had to work with. While Sam Darnold’s splendid performance under center is the headline of the offense, defensive coordinator Brian Flores is garnering recognition for his unit’s impeccable start.
So far this season, the Vikings lead the NFL with 16 sacks and 45 quarterback pressures and have allowed the second-fewest points. Quarterbacks have not had fun going against this new age of Purple People Eaters, who disguise their blitzes expertly. Even without an array of Pro Bowlers in the trenches, along with a secondary that needed to add Stephon Gilmore in August, the Minnesota defense is amazing.
Flores is generating a bunch of buzz for his performance leading the Vikings defense, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN. However, because Flores is still suing the NFL, alleging that he dealt with racism in its hiring practices, Graziano imagines it will be harder for him to land a job as a head coach.
Graziano writes the following: “On performance alone, he’s unassailable…Flores is drawing raves for the way he disguises pressures and confuses quarterbacks. It started last season in Minnesota, but the players are executing it at a much higher level in Year 2 of the system. The question with Flores as a head-coaching candidate is, of course, that he still has a pending lawsuit against the NFL alleging racial discrimination in the league’s hiring practices. The Vikings’ defense could be the reincarnation of the 1985 Bears and it would still be hard to imagine an owner hiring a head coach who’s in the middle of suing the league.”
The Vikings hired Flores to a very prominent role despite his lawsuit against the league, so is a job as a head coach really that far out of the question? Kevin O’Connell’s job security in Minnesota is tight but a DC is just a stone’s throw away from the lead job. If any owner with a need for a new head coach is serious about winning, they’ll consider Flores.
Flores’ Miami Dolphins posted two winning records despite less-than-stellar rosters. Perhaps he could have done a better job developing Tua Tagovailoa, who spoke out about Flores’ demeaning presence before this season. But in a more normal context, where ownership isn’t as meddling and the front office is more competent, Flores should be able to uplift a team in need of a jolt.
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