Aaron Rodgers advocates for Brian Flores to get another chance to be an NFL head coach

Rodgers will face Flores' defense this weekend in Ireland

While Brian Flores is flourishing in his role as the Vikings' defensive coordinator, Aaron Rodgers feels that Flores should get another opportunity to be an NFL coach. Rodgers and the Steelers' offense will face Flores' defense Sunday in the first-ever NFL regular season game played in Ireland. 

Now in his third season with the Vikings, Flores spent one season on Pittsburgh's staff after he was unceremoniously let go by the Dolphins despite posting back-to-back winning seasons as Miami's coach. Flores then filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL, the Dolphins and several other teams alleging racial discrimination. 

"He's a phenomenal coach," Rodgers said of Flores."He was here a few years ago. ... It's good to see him in a position of leadership. I feel like he probably should, at some point, get another [head] coaching job based on the way that he's coached defense last couple years.The schemes they run and the way they're coached, there's a lot of really good chemistry and continuity on that side that doesn't just come from from players. There's a schematic part of that. It's really impressive."

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A four-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots, Flores was the Patriots' de facto defensive play-caller during New England's 13-3 victory over the Rams in Super Bowl LIII. Shortly after that game, he was hired to serve as the Dolphins' coach. 

By all accounts, Flores and the 2019 Dolphins were set up for failure. That was the infamous "Tank for Tua" year that saw Miami trade several notable starters that included Laremy Tunsil, Kenny Stills, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Kenyan Drake. Not surprisingly, the Dolphins started 0-7 and were being compared to some of the worst teams in NFL history. 

Miami, however, showed considerable resolve by winning five of its final nine times that included consecutive wins over Cincinnati in New England to close out the season. The Dolphins' 27-24 win over the Patriots was especially significant in that it was prevented the Patriots from earning a bye in what was Tom Brady's final regular season game as New England's quarterback. The Patriots were then upset by the Titans in the AFC wild card round. 

The Dolphins, with Tua Tagovailoa in tow, went 10-6 in 2020 and 9-8 in 2021 and narrowly missed the playoffs both seasons. Flores was relieved of his duties during the 2022 offseason and replaced by Mike McDaniel. Flores spent one season on Pittsburgh's defensive staff before being hired by Minnesota in 2023. 

In 2024, Tagovailoa publicly criticized Flores' handling of him during their time together in Miami. Flores, to his credit, responded to those comments by acknowledging that he in hindsight probably could have handled some things differently regarding his time as Dolphins coach. 

While his time in Miami didn't go as planned, Flores has enjoyed a career resurgence in Minnesota. 

The Vikings enter Sunday's game against the Steelers ranked ninth in the NFL in fewest points allowed. The Vikings' defense is also third in fewest passing yards allowed, first in fewest touchdown passes allowed, fifth in third-down efficiency and sixth in sacks. In last week's 48-10 thumping of the Bengals, Minnesota's defense scored two touchdowns while outscoring Cincinnati's offense. 

Like Rodgers, Mike Tomlin, who served as the Vikings' defensive coordinator prior to becoming the Steelers' coach in 2007, was highly complimentary of Flores when asked about him earlier this week. When asked about Flores' possible future head coaching prospects, Tomlin said that he thought that Flores was successful "the first time around" while alluding to his three seasons in Miami. 

"His willingness to learn is a really attractive component of Coach Flores," Tomlin said. "We had some awesome discussions during our time together. He certainly has opinions, schematic opinions, strategic opinions, personnel opinions, but his openness to differing thoughts or viewpoints, I think, is a weapon for him as a coach. And so I think that's why oftentimes, you see them do a wide variety of things schematically. I think it first starts with an attitude or an openness to new things or to learning and discovery."