Brian Flores was linked to the Dallas Cowboys' defensive coordinator job before they even fired Matt Eberflus. Multiple outlets have confirmed Dallas' interest in the Minnesota Vikings' defensive play-caller, but America's Team strangely never submitted an interview request.
That may be because the Cowboys sensed they never truly had a chance. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported late Wednesday that Brian Flores and the Vikings agreed to terms on a contract extension.
If Flores does not receive a head coaching job, he will be back as Minnesota's DC. Flores has interviewed with the Ravens and Steelers for their coaching vacancies.
It's not clear if Flores has withdrawn from those races, but regardless, he's not coming to Dallas. He will either be a head coach or return as the Vikings' defensive coordinator.
The Vikings have signed defensive coordinator Brian Flores to a new contract, sources tell me and @RapSheet.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 22, 2026
Flores is still a candidate with the Steelers and Ravens head coaching jobs. But if he doesn’t land one of those, he’ll stay in Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/RAPKF9kZkR
Cowboys' Brian Flores dream never made it off the ground
This helps explain why the Cowboys never attempted to interview Flores. While he did interview for the Commanders’ defensive coordinator opening, that meeting may have been more about creating leverage over the Vikings than genuine interest in the Washington job.
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell had been adamant about wanting to retain Flores. The terms of his new contract have not been revealed, but it stands to reason he is now one of the highest-paid DCs in football, if not the highest-paid.
Though Dallas is a much larger market than Minnesota, he's turned the Vikings into one of the most vaunted defenses in the NFL.
In 2025, Minnesota ranked fourth in EPA per play (-0.087), fifth in defensive success rate (40.59 percent), second in dropback EPA (-0.088), and third in average depth of target (7.10), per Sūmer Sports.
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Why would he leave that for the Cowboys, who should be better in 2026, but were all-time bad this season and need a handful of new starters?
Flores would have been a dream hire for Dallas, but it never felt like more than a pipe dream. If there were legitimate smoke to the rumors, they would have requested an interview. That Flores only took a DC interview with Washington proves that he was always going back to Minnesota if he didn't get a head coaching job this cycle.
It’s a bitter pill to swallow for Cowboys fans, but the defensive coordinator search was never Flores-or-bust.
Daronte Jones, Christian Parker, and Jonathan Gannon have all advanced to second interviews, and NFL Network confirmed that Dallas remains interested in Broncos defensive pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard. There is still plenty of reason to be bullish about how this process is unfolding.