The Minnesota Vikings have arguably the best defense in the league and are at the center of their 6-0 start to the season as the team remains the last undefeated squad in the NFL.
Nonetheless, with how the Vikings’ defense is playing, there’s speculation about whether defensive coordinator Brian Flores will want to become a head coach again after this season.
Flores was the head coach for the Miami Dolphins from 2019 to 2021, where he finished with a 24-25 record, including one season in which he went 10-6 but didn’t make the playoffs.
Moreover, after his firing, the Vikings coach filed a class-action racial discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and multiple teams. As a result, the off-the-field stuff might impact his head coaching prospects.
Still, former Vikings wideout Adam Thielen stated that Flores should want to be a head coach, given that he can earn as much as a head coach while being a coordinator in Minnesota and not deal with other aspects of being a head coach.
“Just the off-the-field stuff,” Thielen said in an Oct. 27 video from KFAN on what will keep Flores from being a head coach next season. “I think there’s probably a lot of talk around the league that they don’t want to get close to that. So there’s probably a little hesitancy there… But for him, why take on that stress?
“You can get paid dang near just as much as a head coach to be the best defensive coordinator in the NFL. Why not just take that? The job security is pretty dang good, and you don’t have to move your family. People absolutely love you here in Minnesota, and you get to focus on one thing.”
Brian Flores Would Be Better Off Being Free Agent DC
Moreover, Thielen believes Flores could benefit from remaining a defensive coordinator in Minnesota and allowing his contract to run its course, potentially giving him leverage to negotiate a lucrative deal elsewhere should he ever want to leave the Vikings.
“If I were him, I would just go with that,” Thielen added. “Again, they have to pay him because at some point he’s a free agent, and he gets to go talk to every team that needs a defensive coordinator. They’re going to have to pony up and pay him just as much as probably a first-year head coach. I would just stay in that role.”
T.J. Hockenson Has Words for Vikings QB Kyler Murray
As for the QB in Minnesota, Kyler Murray, he is starting to show that he can be a threat with his legs against any team the Vikings play. T.J. Hockenson shared what went through his mind during Murray’s 35-yard scramble as the Vikings QB showed that he can lean on his legs when needed and make a big play for the team.
“That was a weird look,” Hockenson told reporters on Oct. 25 after the Vikings win. “They played man. That was a tough one for me. He had hard inside leverage on an inside-breaking route, so I was like, ‘All right, well,’ and then he just kept following me, and Kyler took off. He’s so fast.
“There are so many times when you’re going to scramble, and then he’s on you, and you’re like, ‘Oh, I should have blocked,’ or ‘I should have gone deeper,’ or whatever. He’s so fast, so it’s still about getting in that rhythm with him. When he gets those legs moving, it’s hard to stop him, and it’s a good aspect to have as an offense.”
Ex-Vikings WR Adam Thielen Sends Blunt Message on Brian Flores’ Future