The day after the Minnesota Vikings made an effort to retain Brian Flores as defensive coordinator, the NFL made an announcement that will only bolster his head-coach candidacy.
Flores, who agreed to a contract extension with the Vikings on January 21, is still a candidate for the Pittsburgh Steelers or Baltimore Ravens head coaching positions. The extension guaranteed that, if Flores did not land either job, he would return to his position in Minnesota after his contract had previously expired.
The Vikings coordinator has interviewed for both positions and is awaiting second interviews with both teams, which are waiting until next week to interview several candidates on teams competing in conference championships before making their decisions.
Flores’ candidacy received some more recognition from the NFL, which announced that the Vikings defensive coordinator is a finalist for the NFL Honors’ Assistant Coach of the Year Award.
Flores is among five finalists, which includes fellow defensive coordinators Vic Fangio (Philadelphia Eagles), Vance Joseph (Denver Broncos) and offensive coordinators Klint Kubiak (Seattle Seahawks) and Josh McDaniels (New England Patriots).
For Flores to be the only finalist for the award, voted on by a panel of 50 sportswriters, whose team did not make the postseason, is a testament to how the league at large views his impact in Minnesota.
The Vikings defense under Flores ranked seventh in scoring and third in yards allowed and was especially stingy against the pass and in the red zone.
“In 2025, Flores’ defense allowed an average of 158.5 passing yards per game, the second fewest in the NFL behind Buffalo (156.9). It also marked the team’s fewest passing yards allowed per game by the club since 1989 (156.3). In the red zone, Minnesota allowed just 2.11 yards per play this season, the second fewest in the NFL (Denver), and gave up touchdowns on only 42.9% of its opponents’ red-zone drives, which also marked the second-lowest percentage across the league in 2025 (Denver),” Vikings PR wrote in the announcement of his extension.
Vikings Secure Valuable Draft Capital if Flores Leaves With Extension
Before the Vikings struck a deal with Flores, it was unclear whether, under NFL rules, they would receive a compensatory draft pick if he landed a head coach position.
Under league rules, the NFL awards compensatory draft picks for developing minority coaches into higher positions.
With Flores extended, the Vikings will receive two third-round picks if he is hired for a head coach job, either this season or in future years.
Vikings Made an Offer Flores Couldn’t Refuse, Insider Says
While Flores staying in Minnesota isn’t a lock, the Vikings seemed to have made a grand gesture that could keep him around much longer.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on January 22 that “it looks like” Flores will return to Minnesota after a “huge” offer from ownership.
“My understanding is [The Wilfs] made a huge offer, the type that Flores as a D-coordinator was not going to be able to refuse,” Pelissero said. “He is still in the mix [for the Steelers and Ravens jobs]…we’ll see what shakes out in those head coaching searches, but right now, it looks like he will be back in Minnesota.”
NFL Announces Brian Flores News After Vikings Extension