Timing-wise, the Vikings made one of the oddest announcements in recent memory this week.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores agreed to a contract extension to remain with the team ... unless he departed in a matter of days for a head coaching opening.
Wait, what?
The news at least allowed nervous fans to check one of two possible fears off their list. Flores, whose contract expired after another successful season, would at least not be leaving in a lateral move to become some other team’s highly-paid coordinator.
But why would the two sides come to an agreement now when it could still get ripped up?
Andrew Krammer and I batted that question around on Friday’s Daily Delivery podcast.
Let’s look at where things stand at the start of today’s 10 things to know:
- My sense was that it could be a signal that Flores didn’t think he was going to get either of the head coaching vacancies he had been linked to in Pittsburgh or Baltimore. Lo and behold, hours after we recorded the segment the Ravens picked Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter as their new head coach.
- That leaves the Steelers as the only known team interested in Flores. He is considered one of three strong candidates along with Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula and former Packers and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy.
- Krammer made a good point that perhaps Flores signed the extension with the Vikings not because of a lack of confidence in his ability to land a head coaching job but because he had played out his leverage with other potential defensive coordinator jobs. It’s telling that Vikings assistant Daronte Jones has been linked to four coordinator openings while Flores was only linked to one with the Commanders. Perhaps other teams seeking coordinators sensed that Flores was only interested in another head coaching job and would be using them as a negotiating tactic.
- So as of now, two of the three possible ways Flores could leave (out of the Steelers job, the Ravens job or some other defensive coordinator opening) are off the table. All that said, the Vikings’ nightmare scenario of losing both Flores and Jones could still happen if the Steelers decide Flores is their guy and Jones leaves for another team. It’s just less likely than it used to be.
- And all of this is strange, isn’t it: Vikings fans find themselves rooting for an outcome that is bad for a coach they like (Flores) but good for the team when they react with relief that he didn’t get the Baltimore job or hope still that he doesn’t get the Steelers job. This isn’t new, but it’s still an unfortunate reality with coaching cycles.
- One more Flores note that caught my ears and eyes: Former Vikings assistant and ex-Browns head coach Mike Pettine, whose retirement was announced last week by head coach Kevin O’Connell, was asked this week for this thoughts on Flores by Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show. Here is what he said: “Not many that I would prefer to share. I mean, we didn’t see eye to eye on a lot of things. That’s why I spent this past year on offense. I was there (in 2023 and 2024) on defense. I’ll take the high road on that one.”
- The Wolves have lost four straight games, including puzzling back-to-back losses against the Jazz and the Bulls. Chip Scoggins is advocating for a move before the trade deadline.
- The Wild, meanwhile, have already shoved in most of their chips with the Quinn Hughes trade. It continued to pay dividends in a 4-3 OT win over the Red Wings on Thursday. Hughes had three assists while Kirill Kaprizov scored twice, including the game-winner in overtime.
- Indiana used to be a basketball school. Now it’s a football powerhouse. Nebraska used to be a football powerhouse. Now it’s a basketball school?
- Taylor Rogers is returning to the Twins on a modest one-year deal to try to shore up the bullpen. I’d be far more excited if the player the Twins traded away with Rogers in 2022 — Brent Rooker, who has 99 homers over the last three seasons — was added to the roster.
