The Minnesota Vikings are coming off a disappointing season. Minnesota made the difficult decision to let quarterback Sam Darnold walk in free agency, turning the team over to the younger J.J. McCarthy. In his first season serving as Minnesota’s primary starter, McCarthy has struggled to stay healthy, and his play has been inconsistent when he has been on the field.
The Vikings have been eliminated from playoff contention just one season after playing for the NFC North title in the final week of the season. However, on the other side, the Vikings’ defense, led by defensive coordinator Brian Flores, has been a bright spot.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell has made it clear that he hopes Flores is around next season, although as things stand, Flores will hit free agency this offseason.
“Based upon my dialogue with him, and obviously the enthusiasm and the want to for us to get something done, I don’t [anticipate that],” O’Connell said, according to ESPN. “But I also know we’re inside of days before our season ends. … I know he enjoys being here. …
“I know I’m excited about when … hopefully I can come to this podium and say he’s going to be here for as long as we can keep him here before another team makes him their head coach.”
There’s a strong possibility Flores receives interest around the league as a head coach, but O’Connell is making it clear he’d like his guy to be back.
“Flo knows I love him,” O’Connell said. “He was the guy three years ago that I identified to bring in here, and the growth and just our relationship and what he’s meant to me personally is so massive. And that’s not even taken into account what he’s been able to do defensively for our team and been such a huge part of helping us daily, minute to minute, kind of weather the different storms we had to navigate this year.
“Yeah, things are in a really positive place right now. I absolutely want Brian Flores to be the defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings as long as we can have him.”
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.