The 2026 coaching staff in Minnesota will have one fairly significant change.
On Tuesday, coach Kevin O’Connell announced that assistant head coach Mike Pettine is retiring.
Pettine, 59, joined the Vikings in 2022. In 2024, Pettine was both the assistant head coach and the outside linebackers coach.
He served as head coach of the Browns from 2014 through 2015. Before that, Pettine spent three years as the defensive coordinator of the Jets (2009 through 2012) and one with the Bills (2013). He coordinated the defense in Green Bay from 2018 through 2020.
Moving forward, O’Connell will need to appoint a new assistant head coach. For now, the bigger question is whether O’Connell will be replacing defensive coordinator Brian Flores, either because he has gotten a head-coaching job or because he has decided to work elsewhere as a defensive coordinator.
PFT reported on Monday that the Vikings are confident Brian Flores will be back as the team’s defensive coordinator if he does not land a head coaching job, but that apparently isn’t stopping at least one other club from seeing if Flores is interested in running their defense.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the Commanders want to interview Flores for that position on Dan Quinn’s coaching staff. Flores just wrapped up his third season as the coordinator in Minnesota.
Flores is expected to interview with the Ravens for their head coaching vacancy this week. There has not been any other word of head coaching interest so far this cycle.
Flores went 24-25 in three seasons as the head coach of the Dolphins before being fired after the 2021 season. He subsequently took legal action against the Dolphins, the NFL and three other clubs for racial discrimination and that claim is still pending.
Eight days after the Vikings’ finished their regular-season on a five-game winning streak, there has been no news regarding whether defensive coordinator Brian Flores will stick around for a fourth season.
He has completed his work in Minnesota, but assistant-coaching contracts typically don’t expire until the Super Bowl. Still, he’s essentially a free agent at this point, needing only to bide his time until he’s free to leave.
As we understand it, the Vikings remain confident Flores will be back, unless he lands a head-coaching job. Of the eight openings, Flores has publicly emerged as a potential candidate, so far, only with the Ravens.
It’s possible, frankly, that the Vikings have a tentative deal with Flores, but that a decision has been made to not put pen to paper until he has exhausted all head-coaching possibilities.
Shortly before the Raiders fired coach Pete Carroll, a rumor was making the rounds of a potential Patriot Way reunion in Las Vegas, with former New England quarterback/current Raiders minority owner and significant influence Tom Brady hiring Flores, a former Patriots defensive coordinator, to be the coach, with Brian Daboll, who had multiple stints with the Patriots, as offensive coordinator.
To date, the Raiders have been officially linked to Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, Broncos quarterbacks coach/pass game coordinator Davis Webb, Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, former Browns coach Kevin Stefanski, Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, and Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.
Flores’s candidacy as a head coach with any team is complicated by his pending lawsuit against the NFL and four franchises — the Dolphins, Giants, Broncos, and Texans. Legally, the fact that he has pursued a claim of racial discrimination against the league cannot be used against him. As a practical matter, teams exercise plenty of discretion when it comes to hiring head coaches, and the supply of objectively qualified candidates outweighs the demand.
Indeed, Flores’s claim against the Texans arises from the team’s failure to hire him in 2022, following the filing of his lawsuit. He was one of three finalists, along with Jonathan Gannon and Josh McCown. The Texans ultimately went off the board to hire Lovie Smith, who was fired after one year.
NINE has gotten fined.
The last game of Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s first season included a first-quarter run that ended with a taunting foul.
On Saturday, the NFL announced that McCarthy will pay $11,593 for jawing at Packers defenders after a run during which he threw a stiff arm and then a shoulder.
It’s part of McCarthy’s feisty persona, one that has drawn scrutiny from coach Kevin O’Connell for celebrating during a naked bootleg touchdown run against the Cowboys last month.
One on hand, he’s young. On the other hand, he needs to control his emotions a little better — at least until he stays healthy and performs at a high level on a consistent basis.
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett set the single-season sack record during the 2025 season and he also became one of three unanimous choices for the Associated Press All-Pro team.
All 50 voters selected Garrett as one of their choices at edge rusher in this year’s voting. Those voters also unanimously selected Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua and Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba for this year’s first team.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford got the nod over Drake Maye at quarterback, which opens up the possibility of a split with MVP for the second straight season. Stafford got 31 votes while the Patriots quarterback got 18 with Bills quarterback Josh Allen getting the other one.
Stafford joins kicker Gary Anderson as the only players to be named a first-team All-Pro for the first time in their 17th season or later.
The full All-Pro teams appear below:
First team
Offense
Quarterback — Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Running Back — Bijan Robinson, Atlanta
Fullback — Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco
Wide Receivers — Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams; Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle; Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati
All Purpose — Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco
Tight End — Trey McBride, Arizona
Left Tackle — Garrett Bolles, Denver
Left Guard — Joe Thuney, Chicago
Center — Creed Humphrey, Kansas City
Right Guard — Quinn Meinerz, Denver
Right Tackle — Penei Sewell, Detroit
Defense
Edge Rushers — Myles Garrett, Cleveland; Will Anderson Jr., Houston; Micah Parsons, Green Bay
Interior Linemen — Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee; Zach Allen, Denver
Linebackers — Jack Campbell, Detroit; Jordyn Brooks, Miami
Cornerbacks — Derek Stingley Jr., Houston; Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia
Slot cornerback — Cooper DeJean, Philadelphia
Safeties — Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore; Kevin Byard, Chicago
Special Teams
Placekicker — Will Reichard, Minnesota
Punter — Jordan Stout, Baltimore
Kick Returner — Ray Davis, Buffalo
Punt Returner — Chimera Dike, Tennessee
Special Teamer — Devon Key, Denver
Long Snapper — Ross Matiscik, Jacksonville
Second team
Offense
Quarterback — Drake Maye, New England
Running Back — James Cook, Buffalo
Fullback — Patrick Ricard, Baltimore
Wide Receivers — George Pickens, Dallas; Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit; Chris Olave, New Orleans
All Purpose — Bijan Robinson, Atlanta
Tight End — Kyle Pitts, Atlanta
Left Tackle — Trent Williams, San Francisco
Left Guard — Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis
Center — Aaron Brewer, Miami
Right Guard — Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta
Right Tackle — Darnell Wright, Chicago
Defense
Edge Rushers — Brian Burns, New York Giants; Danielle Hunter, Houston; Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit
Interior Linemen — Leonard Williams, Seattle; Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh
Linebackers — Devin Lloyd, Jacksonville; Ernest Jones IV, Seattle
Cornerbacks — Patrick Surtain II, Denver; Devon Witherspoon, Seattle
Slot cornerback — Derwin James, Los Angeles Chargers
Safeties — Jessie Bates III, Atlanta; Talanoa Hufanga, Denver; Xavier McKinney, Green Bay (Hufanga and McKinney were tied for the second-team spot)
Special teams
Placekicker — Brandon Aubrey, Dallas
Punter — Michael Dickson, Seattle
Kick Returner — Kavontae Turpin, Dallas
Punt Returner — Marcus Jones, New England
Special Teamer — Del’Shawn Phillips, Los Angeles Chargers
Long Snapper — Andrew DePaola, Minnesota
