Mike Tomlin's sudden departure from the Pittsburgh Steelers has left a vacuum of power in the AFC North, with three out of four teams in that division being left without a head coach. Yes, somehow, Zac Taylor has survived the slaughter.
Tomlin is not going to be seeking any coaching roles in 2026 per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, which is probably good news for...just about any opponent that might've been worried they'd have to play a Tomlin-led team in 2026. He's going to bring his entire team down the mud with your team, and more than likely, win that mud fight.
It could also be excellent news for the NFC North. Maybe not the Minnesota Vikings, but for everyone else! That's because Brian Flores, the current defensive coordinator for the Vikings, is now being requested by the Steelers to interview for their head coaching vacancy.
That'd mean Flores and his high-caliber defensive scheming would be taking a break from ruining the NFC North's offenses, and instead could be taking the hammer to the AFC North.
A potential Brian Flores interview with the Steelers should make the NFC North rejoice
Flores has a connection to Tomlin after he was an assistant coach under him back in 2022, a bit after Flores had sued the NFL for racial discrimination following his firing from the Miami Dolphins. Their camaraderie was encapsulated by Tomlin's kind words about Flores' value to his staff:
"Over the course of those discussions, particularly when it became evident he was not going to get a head job, then I think the natural discussion began. It really ran its course rather quickly, to be quite honest with you. Because it doesn't require a lot of time to come to the realization that you can use a Brian Flores on your staff."
It's not outside of the realm of possibility that the Steelers look to throw a bag at Flores this offseason, especially considering he's a free agent.
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While Flores is obviously an excellent defensive coordinator and this would be his first head coaching gig since being let go by the Dolphins, Pittsburgh would likely love to have a defensively-minded coach like Flores helping to rebuild the team, especially since they have such a solid defensive core in place already.
Flores spent this past season dismantling the NFC North, especially embarrassing the Lions twice in Vikings wins. He has led Minnesota to two seasons of allowing just under 20 points per game, and has been a part of one very successful Vikings team in 2024 that was nicely balanced between a potent offense and a strong defense led by Flores.
Him leaving should make Lions fans, and really all NFC North fans aside from the Vikings' fan base, take a huge sigh of relief. Having one less opponent to fear thanks to his departure speaks to how great he is as a defensive coordinator, which could signal just how valuable he is in this current coaching cycle to a team like the Steelers.