The Steelers are starting to set up a second round of interviews for their head coaching job.
Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that they will have an in-person interview with Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. He spent the 2022 season as a defensive assistant on Mike Tomlin’s staff.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver is also expected to have an in-person interview with the team. All interviews with coaches currently employed by an NFL team have to be held virtually until after the divisional round of the playoffs.
There was also word this weekend that the Steelers are going to meet with former Cowboys and Packers head coach Mike McCarthy. They have also met with Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, and 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak.
Shula and Scheelhaase will not be available for second interviews until after the NFC Championship Game.
There are now two more known candidates to replace Mike Tomlin as head coach of the Steelers, including one individual who is plenty familiar with the club.
According to multiple reports, Pittsburgh has put in a request to interview Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
Multiple reports also indicate that the Steelers have requested Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.
Flores, 44, spent the 2022 season with Pittsburgh as the club’s senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach before Minnesota hired him to be its defensive coordinator in 2023. By most accounts, Flores made a positive impact and was well-liked in his one season with the Steelers, making it unsurprising that the club would want to interview him after Tomlin’s departure.
Flores has also interviewed with the Ravens after the fellow AFC North club fired John Harbaugh last week.
Weaver, 45, has served as the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator for the last two seasons. He is also familiar with the division, as Weaver coached for the Ravens from 2021-2023 as defensive line coach and was the Browns’ defensive line coach from 2014-2015.
Weaver also played for the Ravens from 2002-2005 before finishing his career as a defensive end with the Texans from 2006-2008.
With nine head coach vacancies, Brian Flores may end up getting one of the jobs.
But for now, he’s spending some time with a team that may like to have him as a top assistant.
Via multiple reports, Flores is interviewing with Washington for their defensive coordinator vacancy.
The Commanders fired Joe Whitt Jr. after the completion of the regular season. Head coach Dan Quinn had taken back defensive play-calling duties during the season, making the move unsurprising.
After three seasons as Dolphins head coach, Flores spent 2022 with the Steelers as senior defensive assist nd linebackers coach. He’s been the Vikings’ defensive coordinator since 2023, but his contract is up, making him eligible to interview with other teams for a lateral move.
But PFT reported earlier this week that the Vikings are confident they’ll be able to retain Flores if he does not get a head coaching job.
As expected, Adam Thielen is calling it a career.
In a post on social media, Thielen formally announced his retirement on Wednesday.
“What a ride it has been!” Thielen’s post reads. “13 years what a blessing! Have been blessed with so many great relationships and mentors over the years that I am forever grateful for! Thank you to everyone who has supported me through the years, it has meant everything to my family and I!”
Thielen, 35, spent the vast majority of his career with the Vikings. Signing with the club as an undrafted free agent in 2013, he spent his first season on the practice squad before becoming a special teams contributor in 2014 and 2015.
But in 2016, Thielen ascended to starting receiver, catching 69 passes for 967 yards with five touchdowns. He followed that with a pair of Pro Bowl seasons in 2017 and 2018.
After Minnesota let him go following the 2022 season, Thielen spent two years with the Panthers. he caught 103 passes for 1,014 yards with four TDs in 2023.
He was traded back to the Vikings at the start of the 2025 regular season, but did not contribute much, catching just eight passes for 69 yards in 11 games. He was released and claimed off waivers by the Steelers, where he finished his career with a two-catch performance in Monday’s playoff loss to the Texans.
Thielen retires at No. 5 on Minnesota’s franchise list with 6,751 receiving yards, No. 4 with 542 receptions, and No. 3 with 55 touchdowns.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said on Tuesday that he thought quarterback J.J. McCarthy improved during the 2025 season and outlined the plan for continuing McCarthy’s development in the offseason.
O’Connell said that he thinks “a deep and talented quarterback room will only enhance [McCarthy’s] ability” to grow as a player and that means the team is going to focus on adding competition to that room in the coming months. Undrafted rookie Max Brosmer is currently the only other quarterback under contract for next season.
“I think there has to be,” O’Connell said, via the team’s website. “That’s what’s going to make everybody better in that room. It’s going to be what makes our entire offense thrive through that competition. That should be how our entire organization looks at their individual roles when we compete against each other in the different aspects of the offseason,” he added. “I ultimately think that’s what will [prepare] not only the starter but the next guy and the next guy, and we’ve learned we’ve got to get a lot of guys ready to play. And we’ve got to do it with a responsibility of being the best version of our offense.”
O’Connell said that it remains to be seen what the approach will mean in terms of reps for different quarterbacks, but that McCarthy’s progress will be “a major, major emphasis for our staff” however things wind up looking when the team returns to practice.
