‘They Made A Huge Offer:’ Insider Explains Why Flores Signed Vikings Extension, Remains ‘In The Mix’ For Steelers Job

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coaching search potentially took a hit on Wednesday. The Minnesota Vikings and defensive coordinator Brian Flores agreed to a contract extension.

At first blush, that would seem to solidify Flores’ spot in Minnesota, taking him out of the running for anything else. Yet this extension may not shut the door on Flores coming to Pittsburgh. It simply shuts the door for teams like the Washington Commanders bringing him in as a defensive coordinator.

“The short version is, the only way to get Brian Flores is as your head coach,” NFL insider Tom Pelissero said Thursday on KFAN’s The Power Trip Morning Show. “Up until yesterday, you could have potentially lured him as a defensive coordinator. I know Kevin O’Connell was always confident that Brian Flores was going to come back. My understanding is they made a huge offer, the type that Flores as a d-coordinator was not going to be able to refuse.

“He is still in the mix; he interviewed with the Steelers on Tuesday. He previously interviewed for the Ravens’ head coaching job, as well. But if one of those does not come through, then Flo is going to be back in Minnesota.”

So, if you want the Steelers to bring Brian Flores in as head coach, you’re not out of luck yet. However, this does invalidate the idea of Flores coming to Pittsburgh as a defensive coordinator, as Ray Fittipaldo postulated.

Yesterday, Washington Post NFL reporter Mark Maske included Flores among the top three names he’s hearing connected with the Steelers’ role. Flores signing the extension simply eliminates the potential of him going elsewhere as a defensive coordinator. Even if he had an interest in those other opportunities, it sounds like the Vikings made him the proverbial deal you can’t refuse.

You can’t blame Flores for taking that, either. He now has job security if no team offers him a head coaching job. He can simply go back to the Vikings and keep building a really good defense.

As for the Steelers, they have a number of other head coaching candidates beyond Flores. One of the biggest names is former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy. The Steelers hiring McCarthy would serve as an ambitious change of direction. He is the oldest candidate on their list (62), and he’s an offensive-minded coach, not defensive one.

Some people have speculated that McCarthy is an attractive option because he might be able to get QB Aaron Rodgers to return to the Steelers. After all, they won a Super Bowl together in Green Bay. Analyst Dan Orlovsky hates the idea, saying it’s “the worst decision Pittsburgh could make.”

The Steelers certainly could be patient here, waiting for the playoffs to end (or the Los Angeles Rams to lose) for people like Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula or passing game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase. However, Steelers fans who like the idea of Brian Flores shouldn’t be too concerned about his availability after the extension.