Could Pittsburgh Steelers senior defensive assistant Brian Flores wind up as the new defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings? What about the new head coach of the Arizona Cardinals or the new defensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos? We might find out the answer to that question fairly soon thanks to some other coaching news that surfaced on Sunday.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Carolina Panthers are hiring Ejiro Evero to be their defensive coordinator. Prior to that news, Evero was a serious candidate to become the Vikings’ new defensive coordinator. Flores was also deemed a serious candidate for that open Minnesota job as well as he had already interviewed for the position.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network on Sunday, Flores is expected to have a second interview with the Cardinals for their vacant head coach job on Wednesday. He also will interview with the Denver Broncos for their vacant defensive coordinator job on Tuesday, per Rapoport, and is also now a top candidate for the Vikings job now that Evero is out of the picture.
Flores has interviewed for several open positions around the NFL this offseason with the highest profile one being the vacant head coaching job with the Cardinals. Flores’ link to new Cardinals’ general manager Monti Ossenfort seems to still be in play. He and Ossenfort go way back after several years spent with New England Patriots. Flores’ first interview with the Cardinals took place a few weeks ago.
In short, it doesn’t sound like Flores is a lock to return to the Steelers in 2023 just yet. Maybe we will get some clarity on his future by this same time next week.
Flores was down in Mobile, AL this past week for the annual Senior Bowl week.
