The Pittsburgh Steelers have scheduled a second in-person interview with Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores this week. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com first reported the news, which positions Flores as a leading candidate to become the team’s next head coach following Mike Tomlin’s departure. The move intensifies the Steelers’ search and places the future of Minnesota’s elite defense in question.
Hearing that Brian Flores’ second interview with the #Steelers is on Tuesday.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) January 18, 2026
Steelers conduct extensive search processes.
Owner Art Rooney II and general manager Omar Khan are leading a methodical search. The team plans second interviews with at least seven candidates. This group includes Flores, Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, and Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. The process illustrates the importance of replacing a legacy coach for the first time since 2007.
Flores Brings Unique Familiarity and Proven Results
Flores offers the Steelers a rare combination of insider knowledge and recent success. He served as a senior defensive assistant on Mike Tomlin’s staff in 2022. This prior role provides him direct experience with the organization’s culture and key defensive personnel.
His recent work in Minnesota strongly supports his candidacy. In 2025, Flores transformed the Vikings’ defense into a top unit. The group finished second in passing yards allowed (158.5 per game) and third in total defense. His aggressive, multiple-look scheme aligns with Pittsburgh’s traditional defensive identity while providing modern adaptations.
Minnesota Confronts High-Stakes Retention Effort
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has called retaining Flores the team’s “No. 1 priority.” The Steelers’ serious interest now pressures Minnesota’s front office. They must prepare a substantial counteroffer to keep their defensive architect.
Losing Flores would force the Vikings to install a third defensive system in five years. Such a shift could disrupt the significant progress players like safety Harrison Smith have made under Flores’s guidance.
Decision Will Trigger League-Wide Ripples
The Steelers’ choice will create immediate consequences across the NFL. Hiring Flores would launch Minnesota’s search for a new coordinator, potentially affecting several coaching staffs. Selecting an offensive candidate would signal a more dramatic philosophical shift for the Steelers’ traditionally defense-first franchise.
Analysts note that Flores’s ongoing class action lawsuit against the NFL has not diminished his market this hiring cycle. His interviews with Pittsburgh and Baltimore indicate that teams now view his strategic acumen separately from the litigation.
What Comes Next for Both Franchises
Flores’s interview this week represents a pivotal moment. The Steelers aim to conclude their search before the NFL Scouting Combine in late February. Their decision will chart the course for the franchise’s next era.
For the Vikings, the outcome determines whether they can sustain their defensive resurgence or must begin a challenging rebuild. For Brian Flores, it represents a potential return to a head coaching role with one of the league’s most stable organizations, backed by a season that conclusively restored his reputation as an elite football mind.
