One of the strangest stories of the week came from Minnesota, by way of Arizona. Brian Flores opted to become the new defensive coordinator of the Vikings while still in the running to become the head coach of the Cardinals.
Some have wondered whether Flores had learned that he wouldn’t get the Cardinals job. Some have wondered whether he decided he didn’t want it. The truth is fairly simple.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Flores opted to take the bird in the hand.
With the Vikings scrambling to hire a defensive coordinator, if he had waited for a final answer from the Cardinals, he may have been out of luck. As it stands, Flores takes another step toward becoming a head coach again, despite his pending lawsuit against the league and multiple teams.
By next year or the year after, he could become an A-list option — if he turns around a pathetically bad defense.
Of course, by next year and/or the year after, his litigation possibly will have progressed to the point where evidence is being compiled and allegations are being made during deposition testimony and feathers are even more ruffled. That could definitely complicate the effort to get a head-coaching job.