Ex-Patriots assistant and current Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores said Wednesday he would accept an interview for New England’s head-coaching job if one was extended.

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“I would say yes,” Flores told reporters in Minnesota.

He also added he will take every head-coaching interview request. Flores added “it’s not up to me” when asked specifically about the Patriots’ potential interest. He last coached in New England during the Patriots’ 2018 season, a Super Bowl campaign that led into a three-year stint as the head coach of the Dolphins.

Flores finished with a 24-25 head-coaching record upon getting fired in Jan. 2022. Weeks later, he filed a landmark racial discrimination lawsuit against three teams and the NFL at large.

After one season as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach in Pittsburgh, Flores accepted the Vikings’ defensive coordinator job in 2023. Since then, Minnesota has been regarded as one of the most and most creative defenses in the NFL. The Vikings finished fifth in scoring defense this year, allowing 19.5 points per game.

Flores originally joined the Patriots as a scouting assistant in 2004, then moved to the coaching staff in 2008. He coaches safeties from 2012-15, then backers over his final three seasons in New England. During his final year, Flores called plays as the team’s de facto defensive coordinator.

Per league rules, the soonest Flores could interview would be next Thursday, three days after the Vikings’ upcoming Wild Card playoff game at the Rams.