Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin has made it clear that his staff got lucky last off-season. Brian Flores was available and was interested in coaching with Tomlin. With Teryl Austin hired as the team's defensive coordinator already, Flores was brought on to be the linebackers coach. Throughout the season, Tomlin made it clear that this could be a one-and-done situation with Flores.
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
That's not to say Pittsburgh would let him go, but rather a different team would hire him to a better role in the 2023 off-season. There has already been interest at the conclusion of the regular season, as the Cleveland Browns interviewed him for their defensive coordinator opening. They ended up hiring Jim Schwartz, so Flores won't be going to the Steelers' AFC North rival.
One possible scenario has popped up though. The Arizona Cardinals rightfully fired Kliff Kingsbury after a miserable 4-13 campaign that saw them finish dead-last in the NFC West. After Steve Keim stepped down as general manager due to health reasons, they hired Monti Ossenfort from the Tennessee Titans. That name may not be of any significance to Steelers fans, but he has ties to Flores. The two worked together for awhile with the New England Patriots.
New Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort spent 13 seasons with the Patriots while Brian Flores, a coaching candidate for Arizona, was in New England as an executive and coach. Could be a reunion in AZ
— Bob McManaman (@azbobbymac) January 16, 2023
DraftKings has Flores at +350 odds to be the Cardinals' next head coach. That is tied with Sean Payton for the highest odds for Arizona's head coach opening. The Cardinals have indeed requested permission to interview Flores for the opening, so there's some merit to this talk. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons have also requested permission to interview Flores for their defensive coordinator opening.
Under the tutelage of LB's coach Brian Flores, the Steelers linebackers, including Myles Jack most notably, were inconsistent throughout the 2022 campaign. Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Obviously if things worked out in Arizona, he would take a head coach opening over a defensive coordinator opportunity. It remains to be seen whether or not he'll actually be hired elsewhere, but he's garnering the interest that was expected this off-season. His lone season in Pittsburgh generated some mixed results, as Myles Jack struggled in his first season with the team. Granted, he battled injuries all season long.
Do you think Flores is better suited as a head coach or defensive coordinator? What are your predictions on where he will land or do you think he will be back in Pittsburgh next season? If you had the choice, would you rather have Austin or Flores as the DC? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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