While there are plenty of positives to glean from the Minnesota Vikings’ 9-8 season, one stands above the rest. But the big highlight of the year may actually be the reason that 2026 strays even further from the ultimate goal of a Super Bowl.
Minnesota’s defense was top-10 in most significant statistical categories this year, and was a huge reason the team won as many games as it did. Over the five-game win streak to end the year, the defense allowed just 10.4 points per game. But the man behind that dominance may also be the one who inadvertently sank the Vikings’ 2026 ship.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores was nothing short of spectacular this season. Constantly faced with short fields after the offense coughed up a league-worst 30 turnovers, the Vikings still finished the season with the second-best red-zone defense in the NFL. They were the fourth-best third-down defense, second in total yards, and fourth in total EPA. The accolades go on and on. But Flores’ success in an otherwise lost season creates two major problems.
The first issue is that Flores arguably had his best season as Minnesota’s defensive coordinator. With at least six head coach openings across the league, the odds he lands one of them feel higher than Vikings fans would like to admit.
Las Vegas Raiders fans are already linking Flores to the team because he shared a building with Tom Brady nearly a decade ago. So, who knows? His name has come up as a potential candidate every year, but this cycle appears different. Head coach Kevin O’Connell even seemed to hint that the possibility of losing Flores seems greater in 2026.
“Based upon my dialogue with him, and obviously the enthusiasm and the want to for us to get something done, I don’t [anticipate Flores leaving for a DC job],” O’Connell said. “I know he enjoys being here.”
“Hopefully,” he continued. “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.”
To lose Brian Flores would be devastating. Every year under his command, the defense has felt like a set-it-and-forget-it part of the team. No matter the personnel, defense has typically been the least of fans’ worries. He’s never had a scoring defense ranked 15th or worse since joining the Vikings. It’s hard to picture an improvement in 2026, or even just keeping the status quo, if Flores departs.
The other issue is his success on defense, which has masked some serious flaws within the team, leading to a respectable 9-8 record. Flores undoubtedly saved a lot of jobs this year, including some that maybe shouldn’t have been saved. Without Minnesota’s defensive prowess this year, they likely would have finished with five or fewer wins, leading to significant changes on the roster and staff. Instead, true or not, the Vikings may be inclined to believe the current situation is primed for a simple reload.
The Vikings know they have some questions to address this offseason. While special teams had Will Reichard and Myles Price emerge as stars, coverage and constant penalties left a lot to be desired. Quarterback feels far from certain. Aging vets on huge contracts leave Minnesota in a precarious cap situation. And while injuries ravaged the offensive line, the group as a whole underperformed. Still, the Vikings were one game away from playing again next weekend.
While the final record on paper looks redeemable, fans were preparing themselves for the potential of a top-five pick a few months ago. Instead, Minnesota finished as the best team to not make the playoffs in terms of record and tiebreakers – hooray! But it wasn’t that long ago that Vikings fans were begging for a fresh start at quarterback, special teams coordinator, and even head coach. So, are the Vikings really ready to regroup and make another run at the playoffs in 2026, or did Flores cover up the blemishes?
If Flores returns to Minnesota next year, a lot of those issues can be shielded once again, making them less significant for a team that will always refuse to go full rebuild. However, if Flores earns a head coaching job, the inevitable step back on defense may shine a spotlight on other problems that are holding the team back.
In an ideal world, regardless of whether Brian Flores returns, the Vikings admit that his defense carried them on numerous occasions and that this team has a lot of work to do this offseason to get back to double-digit wins in 2026. In the real world, however, they may just lean on him once again and hope Superman has some more heroics left.
