The list of candidates to replace Matt Eberflus is growing by the day. The Dallas Cowboys added two more names to the mix on Wednesday, and both currently reside in the NFC East.
They requested to speak with Eagles defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator Christian Parker and Giants outside linebackers coach and interim DC Charlie Bullen.
Those are intriguing names, especially in Parker’s case, but while the Cowboys worked those backchannels, Dan Quinn and the rival Commanders were already planning an interview with Cowboys fans’ dream Eberflus replacement, Brian Flores.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport shared that Flores interviewed for Washington's defensive coordinator job on Wednesday.
The #Commanders are, in fact, interviewing Brian Flores for their DC job today, source said. https://t.co/LcOZvqqXyt
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 14, 2026
Commanders interviewing Brian Flores is a Cowboys nightmare
Rapoport previously reported that the Commanders “hoped” to get an interview with Flores. His contract with the Vikings expired on Wednesday, and Washington didn’t waste any time making him feel wanted. The same cannot be said for Dallas, which is now behind the eight ball in the Flores sweepstakes.
The idea of Flores taking over the Commanders' defense is sickening. While they need to upgrade their personnel at all three levels, Flores turned the Vikings' defense into a world-beater overnight without much star power.
In 2024, Minnesota ranked third in defensive EPA (-0.09) and first in both EPA per rush (-0.15) and interception rate (3.37 percent), per Sumer Sports. They finished fourth and seventh in the latter categories this year, and while they dropped to 22nd in INT rate, they climbed to second in EPA per rush (-0.15).
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Hiring Flores won't mean much in the grand scheme of things if quarterback Jayden Daniels can't stay healthy. Daniels was limited to just seven games this season after leading Washington to the NFC Championship Game as a rookie. They'll go as far as Daniels takes them.
That said, the Vikings still finished 9–8 this season despite being handicapped by the worst quarterback play in the NFL. That’s the Brian Flores effect. His defenses consistently perform at a high level regardless of how his team’s offense plays.
Unfortunately for Dallas, the Commanders are far from the only team interested in Flores. The 44-year-old has already interviewed for the Ravens' head coaching job, and ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday that the Steelers requested a head coach interview with Flores. And the Vikings are prepared to pull out all the stops to keep him in Minnesota.
The Cowboys were linked to Flores before they even fired Matt Eberflus, so the interest is certainly there. An interview request may be in the pipeline, but the longer they wait, the more likely it becomes that he picks another team.
Washington is now on that list.