The Steelers are going with Mike McCarthy. Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Pittsburgh is working toward a deal to bring the Super Bowl-winning coach back to a sideline he grew up watching from the stands.
Which means Brian Flores isn't getting a head coaching job this cycle. Again.
What just happened
The math is simple now. Baltimore hired Jesse Minter earlier this week. Pittsburgh picked McCarthy over Flores, who interviewed twice with the Steelers and was genuinely in contention. The four remaining vacancies—Arizona, Buffalo, Cleveland, Las Vegas—haven't shown any interest in Flores.
So he stays in Minnesota. He signed that extension on Tuesday, and while the team's official statement left the door cracked for a potential departure, that door just slammed shut.
"Brian has a unique ability to connect with players, understand their skill sets, and put them in positions to maximize their impact on the field," Kevin O'Connell said when the extension was announced. "The identity of our defense is a reflection of his leadership and preparation."
O'Connell isn't wrong. The Vikings defense under Flores has been legitimately excellent—second-fewest passing yards allowed per game in 2025 (158.5), the lowest mark for the franchise since 1989. They've forced the second-most fumbles in the NFL over the past three seasons. Opponents average just 3.9 yards per rush since Flores took over, the stingiest figure league-wide.
Why this keeps happening
Here's the part nobody wants to say out loud: Flores has done everything right as a coordinator for three years, his defenses consistently rank among the league's best, and he still can't land a second head coaching opportunity.
His lawsuit against the NFL—filed in February 2022 after he was fired by Miami and then given what he described as "sham" interviews by the Giants and Broncos—still hangs over everything. Flores alleged the league was "rife with racism," particularly in its hiring of Black coaches. The case has spent three years in legal limbo, bouncing between arbitration disputes and court rulings. A federal judge noted it was "difficult to understand" how there was only one Black head coach in a league where 70% of players are Black.
You can draw your own conclusions about why a coordinator with Flores's résumé keeps getting passed over. The Steelers went with McCarthy—a 62-year-old Pittsburgh native who went 1-3 in the playoffs with Dallas and hasn't won a postseason game since 2016. That's the guy they chose.
The bigger picture for Minnesota
Vikings fans should actually be relieved. The 2025 season was a mess—9-8, eliminated from playoff contention in Week 15, a quarterback carousel that included Max Brosmer throwing three net passing yards in one game. But through all of it, the defense held up. Flores's unit allowed the seventh-fewest points in the league despite the offense routinely putting them in bad positions.
The continuity matters. Pro Bowlers Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Byron Murphy Jr. all earned their first nods under Flores this past season. Greenard had 12 sacks. Van Ginkel finished with 11.5 and made the All-Pro Second Team. Murphy grabbed six interceptions—the most by a Vikings cornerback since Jimmy Hitchcock had seven in 1998.
These aren't household names that came in with pedigree. Flores developed them. That's what good coordinators do.
What comes next
Tom Pelissero reported that the Vikings made Flores a "huge offer" to stay. The terms haven't been disclosed, but it was apparently enough to lock him in even while the Steelers job remained a possibility.
One wrinkle: Harrison Smith might retire. The veteran safety has been the heartbeat of Minnesota's secondary for over a decade. If Flores has to rebuild that position group while maintaining the defensive standard he's established, that'll be the real test.
Meanwhile, McCarthy walks into a Steelers organization that just watched Mike Tomlin step away after 19 seasons. Aaron Rodgers is 42 and might not return. The quarterback situation is a disaster. And McCarthy's job will be to somehow follow up the only coach Pittsburgh has known since 2007.
Flores, on the other hand, gets to keep building something that's already working. Sometimes the better path isn't the promotion—it's staying where you're valued and doing work that actually matters.
He'll get another shot at a head coaching job eventually. The question is whether the league will give him a fair one.