Last week, the rumor mill decided that Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores may end up with the Dallas Cowboys as a defensive coordinator, the same job he has right now. Most dismissed the idea as silly — why would Flores leave for the same job title elsewhere? — but the idea has been mentioned again, this time by The Athletic .
The Cowboys' DC opening has people tossing Flores' name around again, but the logic rarely moves beyond "big name available" and a flimsy fit.
It still doesn't add up why Flores would move laterally around the NFL when he's a candidate to become a head coach again . Yet, the theory remains in the first week of the offseason.
All things Flores have taken over the Vikings' offseason discourse.
A Dallas Cowboys helmet rests along the sideline during second-half action midway through Sep. 24, 2023, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, as Dallas faced the Arizona Cardinals in an early-season NFC matchup. The equipment sat near the bench area while coaches and players rotated personnel during a tightly contested afternoon. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian–Imagn Images.
DAL Defensive Boss Matt Eberflus Fired
It was a one-and-done for Eberflus in Dallas.
ESPN's Todd Archer wrote Tuesday , "Matt Eberflus has been fired as the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys, the team announced Tuesday. Two days after the season ended with the Cowboys finishing last in the league in points per game and 30th in yards per game, Eberflus was relieved of his duties."
"As a result, the Cowboys will be looking for their fourth defensive coordinator in as many years after Dan Quinn (2023), Mike Zimmer (2024) and Eberflus (2025). The Cowboys' history with Eberflus — he was an assistant coach from 2011 to 2017 — and his track record as a quality defensive coordinator led Brian Schottenheimer to add him as defensive coordinator, but things never clicked. "
The Cowboys featured the NFL's worst defense this season per EPA/Play , so the termination surprised nobody.
Cowboys DC Job Once Again Connected to Flores
Last week, Mike Florio did the honor, mentioning the Cowboys as a landing spot for Flores as the 2026 defensive coordinator.
This time, The Athletic 's Jon Machot parrotted the reporting : "Why would he leave the Minnesota Vikings' top defense to coach Dallas' struggling group? It's a fair question. Flores wants to again be an NFL head coach."
"Fixing the Cowboys' defense would likely have the same impact it had on Dan Quinn. Turn it around and your name is right back near the top of the head-coaching candidates list. Flores' defenses do exactly what the Cowboys were missing this season. They're aggressive and great at disguising their intentions."
It's worth noting that Dallas had a decent defense — until it traded pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers four months ago.
Machota concluded, "Whoever Dallas picks, those two traits should be exactly what they're seeking. Flores was on the New England Patriots coaching staff from 2008-2018 before becoming Miami Dolphins head coach in 2019. During those 11 seasons in New England , the Patriots went to five Super Bowls, winning three."
And just like that, two sources have named Flores as a DC candidate in the heart of Texas.
No Clear Ties to Cowboys for Flores
Usually when a coordinator like Flores leaves a sturdy organization, he joins a pal or former coaching colleague on another team. That is not the case with the Flores-Cowboys hypothesis.
Flores has never crossed paths with Dallas head coach Brian Schottenheimer, and Jerry Jones just doesn't seem like the kind of guy Flores would enjoy, nor have the two worked together.
It feels the Cowboys theory has been conjured out of thin air — just a cool place where people think Flores might like.
Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores watches the action from the sideline during first-half play midway through Dec. 22, 2019, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, as Miami hosted the Cincinnati Bengals. Flores observed defensive alignments and in-game flow while managing situational decisions early in the contest. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove–USA TODAY Sports.
Machota remarked about Dallas' criteria for the next defensive coordinator, "When having a head coach like Schottenheimer, who also calls the offensive plays, it makes sense to have a defensive coordinator who can be similar to a head coach on that side of the ball."
"That clearly didn't work this season as an awful start led to Schottenheimer spending more time in the defensive meeting rooms. The Cowboys obviously don't want something similar next season."
Just … Sick of the Vikings?
Back to Machota's question — why would Flores leave Minnesota for a lateral job elsewhere? Two things would explain the motivation. First, the Cowboys blow the Vikings' salary offer out of the water, and Minnesota's brass doesn't match it. Coach salaries are notoriously secret, so perhaps Dallas could get away with the maneuver if the Vikings owners suddenly became cheap.
Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stands alongside defensive coordinator Brian Flores during a scouting event midway through Jan. 2023, as the organization evaluated talent ahead of the upcoming offseason. The pairing reflected Minnesota's early collaboration between front office leadership and coaching staff during the evaluation process. Mandatory Credit: @MattAnderson_8.
Or — for Flores to leave Minnesota, an unknown friction source would have to be present. For example, the Vikings irked Flores with a decision or action, or vice versa: Flores did something behind closed doors that Minnesota didn't condone. Of course, those ideas are speculative and hearsay.
Regardless of the Cowboys angle, Flores is the sportsbooks' frontrunner to land with the Las Vegas Raiders as their next head coach as of January 6th.
