Former Vikings Assistant Mike Pettine Admits Tension with Brian Flores

Brian Flores may have improved the Vikings defense but not everyone of his colleague is fond of his methods.

Former Vikings Assistant Mike Pettine Admits Tension with Brian Flores

Brian Flores (Image via IMAGO)

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Brian Flores will return to the Minnesota Vikings as the defensive coordinator unless another team makes a generous offer. Flores is one of the most sought-after names on the current coaching carousel, drawing interest from teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and Washington Commanders.

The Vikings agreed to extend Flores’s tenure as the defensive coordinator to one more year. However, he is free to explore other options. He’s looking to bag a head coaching job. The Ravens are no longer an option, as they appointed Jesse Minter, former Chargers DC.

With Baltimore out of the running, the Steelers look like the best landing spot for the 44-year-old. However, he’s expected to face tough competition from Mike McCarthy.

If he fails to land the Steelers job, Flores will return to Minnesota and assume his role as the Vikings’ DC for the 2026 season. Now, there’s a floating rumor that he doesn’t have a good working relationship with his colleagues in the Vikings organization.

Ex-Minnesota assistant head coach Mike Pettine offered vague criticism of Flores during an interview on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show.

We didn’t see eye to eye on a lot of things, and that’s why I spent this past year on offense. I was there in 2023 and 2024 on defense. So, I’ll take the high road on that one.

Pettine came on board with the Vikings as assistant head coach in 2022, and two years later, he took on additional duties as the outside linebackers coach. In January, head coach Kevin O’Connell announced that Pettine was retiring from coaching.

How has the Vikings’ defense looked under Brian Flores’ coaching?

The Vikings’ defense can go toe to toe with some of the best in the league. During his three seasons as the DC, the Vikings have limited their opponents to 19.2 points per game (second-fewest) and 317.1 yards per game. Minnesota has totaled the second-most forced fumbles in the NFL (52) and the fifth-most defensive takeaways (73).

Former Vikings Assistant Mike Pettine Admits Tension with Brian Flores
Brian Flores (Image via IMAGO)

Flores’ intense training sessions bring out the best in his players. Before he joined, the Vikings were stuck in 31st place during the 2022 season. The defense has steadily improved since then. They finished 16th at the end of the 2023 season and climbed into the top 10 the following year, where they’ve stayed ever since.

According to FOX Sports, during the 2025 season, the Vikings allowed an average of 158.5 passing yards per game, the second-fewest in the NFL, behind Buffalo (156.9). Three players were selected for the 2025 NFL Pro Bowl: outside linebackers Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel, and cornerback Byron Murphy Jr.

Greenard racked up 12 sacks, while Van Ginkel had 11.5. Murphy became the first Vikings player since Jimmy Hitchcock in 1998 to record six interceptions in a single NFL season. It’s safe to say the Vikings’ defense is in the right hands.

However, the same can’t be said for their underwhelming offense, which is a big reason the Vikings ended up missing the playoffs. Second-year quarterback JJ McCarthy threw 11 touchdown passes and 12 picks in 10 games. They didn’t have a 1000-yard running back (Jordan Mason, 758 yards), and Justin Jefferson barely kept his 1000-yard streak alive (1048 yards).

O’Connell must fix the offense or find an alternative to McCarthy ahead of the new season. Will he reach out to Aaron Rodgers? It remains to be seen.

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