The 2026 NFL Honors ceremony will unfold on Thursday night at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, and one Minnesota Viking could take home some bacon: defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
Flores’ case is built on results, and the Vikings’ defensive prowess gives him a credible path to the ACOTY trophy.
Flores is in the running for Assistant Coach of the Year, and with no clear frontrunner, the Vikings’ defensive boss could win the trophy.
Flores Has a Real Case on Thursday Night
Is it Flores’s turn?
Flores Up for ACOTY
Flores pulled down the nomination last month, and Yahoo Sports‘ Andrew Harbaugh wrote, “On Wednesday, the Minnesota Vikings and defensive coordinator Brian Flores agreed to a contract extension, despite him being in contention for several head coaching jobs. On Thursday, the prominent defensive mind earned another honor: AP Assistant Coach of the Year nominee.”
“Flores showcased himself once again in 2025 as he was able to make the Vikings one of the best and most feared defenses in the NFL. He also schemed and coached up the likes of Jalen Redmond, Eric Wilson, and Isaiah Rodgers, who had breakout seasons. The team remained one of the more aggressive defenses overall and was a main component of the team finishing the season on a five-game winning streak.”
Now, it’s time to reveal the winner of the award, and it wouldn’t be weird one bit for Flores to earn the recognition.
The Contenders
Who’s Flores’ competition? Quite the field:
- Vic Fangio | Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Coordinator
- Brian Flores | Vikings defensive coordinator
- Vance Joseph | Denver Broncos Defensive Coordinator
- Klint Kubiak | Seattle Seahawks Offensive Coordinator
- Josh McDaniels | New England Patriots Offensive Coordinator
Kubiak and McDaniels will be spotlighted in the Super Bowl, perhaps giving them a bit of an advantage in the court of public opinion.
Flores was a runner-up last year, as well, to Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who now leads the Chicago Bears as head coach.
The Case for Flores
The case for Flores is straightforward. His defense performed marvelously, and in fact, propelled the Vikings to a winning record after the club started the season with a sad 4-8 record.
Over the last two seasons, for context, Minnesota has ranked first in the NFL per EPA/Play. In 2025 alone, Flores’s group pulled down the No. 3 ranking behind the Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans.
Here’s the statistical skinny for Flores as ACOTY:
- 1st in Pass Rush Win Rate
- 2nd in Yards Allowed
- 3rd in Defense DVOA
- 3rd in EPA/Play
- 4th in Defensive 3rd Down Conv%
- 7th in Points Allowed
Not too shabby.
Flores is now also handsomely paid, having recently secured the aforementioned $6 million-per-season extension. Our Janik Eckardt noted on the deal, “That number is eye-opening for an assistant coach. Most coordinators operate in the low-seven-figure range, which makes Flores’ deal closer to low-end head-coaching money than a typical defensive coordinator salary. In other words, Minnesota didn’t just keep him — they treated him like a franchise pillar.”
“Flores has earned every penny of his new contract, as he turned a subpar unit into one of the best in the business that can single-handedly carry a struggling offense to wins. After a one-year acclimation period in 2023, his squad has been among the league’s best over the last two years and there’s no reason to believe that it would change in the upcoming campaign.”
USA Today Picks Kubiak
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA Today predicted that former Vikings offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, the current offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl-bound Seattle Seahawks and presumptive next head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, will win ACOTY.
He defended the prediction: “After a run of admittedly chalk picks, maybe there’s some mystery in the final few awards, which lack any consensus surrounding them. Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph could be the pick here after leading the way for the NFL’s most fearsome pass rush, and Josh McDaniels did superlative work in positioning Maye and the rest of the Patriots’ offense to thrive despite some lingering personnel limitations.”
“Kubiak, however, was at the controls for one of this year’s most impressive reworkings with Seattle’s offense, and the unit managed to pull off the high-wire act thanks to his guidance.”
Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph took home the ACOTY award from the Pro Football Writers of America last month.
The race could truly bend in any direction, with Flores lurking as a possible winner. In February 2025, Vikings skipper Kevin O’Connell took home the NFL Coach of the Year award for the 2024 season. It could be back-to-backers for the purple team.
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