There seemed to be steadfast belief from head coach Kevin O’Connell that the Vikings would eventually be able to work something out with Brian Flores to keep him in Minnesota for the foreseeable future.

At least that’s the confidence that O’Connell projected publicly whenever asked about his defensive coordinator.

“I know he enjoys being here,” O’Connell said last month. “I know I’m excited about when I can hopefully 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.”

The most important part of that process playing itself out came on Wednesday night, when Flores, 44, signed a contract extension with the Vikings. That ensures that he will return as the defensive coordinator next season he accepts a job as a head coach during this NFL hiring cycle.

“The identity of our defense is a reflection of his leadership and preparation,” O’Connell said Wednesday in a release. “On a personal level, I’ve really valued the relationship we’ve built over the last three years, and that shared trust, alignment and high standard will continue to be critical to our success.”

This doesn’t mean the Vikings are completely out of the woods with Flores. There’s still a chance he could leave if another team wants to make him their head coach, and that would set off a chain reaction that would put the Vikings in scramble mode.

Here’s everything there is to know about the situation at hand.

What does Flores being under contract mean?

Let’s start with the good news.

Now that Flores has signed a contract extension with the Vikings, no other team can contact him about being their defensive coordinator.

There were multiple reports that the Washington Commanders interviewed Flores last week about their opening at defensive coordinator. There also were rumors that the Dallas Cowboys might be interested in talking to Flores about their coordinator opening. That’s no longer an option for either team as the Vikings have exclusive rights.

Now, the bad news.

Just because Flores signed a contract extension with the Vikings doesn’t necessarily guarantee be will be back on the sidelines for them moving forward. There’s still a chance the Vikings could lose Flores in the near future if he garners an offer from another team to be their head coach.

What other teams have shown interest in Flores?

At the moment, the only other teams the Vikings have to worry about are the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. They have each interviewed Flores once for their openings at head coach. As of Thursday morning, he had not received any other interview requests.

It makes sense that the Ravens and the Steelers are interested; he fits the brand as both teams have long prided themselves on defensive dominance, exactly what he can bring to the table.

It could help Flores that he has a history with the Steelers, having worked for them under legendary head coach Mike Tomlin, who recently stepped down after 19 seasons at the helm.

The biggest challenge for Flores in ascending from defensive coordinator to head coach could be the fact that he’s currently suing the NFL. The lawsuit alleges systemic racial discrimination by the league during the NFL hiring cycle. It also highlighted the existence of sham interviews designed to satisfy the Rooney Rule, a policy requiring NFL teams to interview a diverse pool of candidates for head coaching and front office jobs.

What would happen if Flores decides to leave?

There are a couple of internal candidates the Vikings would turn their attention to if Flores departs, including defensive backs coach Daronte Jones and inside linebackers coach Mike Siravo.

The only issue there is Jones has already received interest from a number of different teams about their openings at defensive coordinator. There’s a world in which Jones gets hired away from the Vikings before Flores hears back from the Ravens or the Steelers.

It’s also likely that the Vikings would look into some external candidates if they suddenly found themselves searching for a defensive coordinator.

Maybe the only saving grace of potentially losing Flores is the Vikings would receive third-round compensatory pick for two years in conjunction with the Rooney Rule. Though it wouldn’t make up for the loss, it would help lessen the blow.

Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores gives Minnesota Vikings cornerback Fabian Moreau (23) a hug near the end of fourth quarter of an NFL game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday, Jan 4, 2026. The Vikings beat the Green Bay Packers, 16-3. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

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