The Chicago Bears' postseason may not have played out as hoped, but the franchise remains in an incredible position in the NFC North. Detroit is yet to recover from the Bears stealing current head coach Ben Johnson from his former OC role, and the Green Bay Packers are coming off a playoff collapse and losing their defensive coordinator, Jeff Hafley, to a head coaching role. Leading us to the Minnesota Vikings, who have some issues of their own with defensive coordinator and former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores generating interest.
Flores has been considered a potential fit for both the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, making it clear that the talented coordinator could soon be exiting the franchise as well. This isn't the only concern for Minnesota, as Daronte Jones appears to be a clear option for teams looking to promote young talent to a defensive coordinator position. Jones has had great success with the Vikings in developing young defenders and is quickly building a resume that should generate interest.
Leading us to Mike Siravo, the inside linebackers coach, who could easily follow Flores to his new landing spot. Both defensive coaches make sense as part of any potential Flores staff in a promoted role. Even if the Vikings can convince the coach to return for another season, either of the other positional coaches could still depart.
Bears Continue to Have Clear Path to NFC North Domination as Division Devolves
Chicago not only should be favored heading into the 2026 season, but the division is giving fans every reason to believe that they could dominate for years to come. Not only is Minnesota looking at the possibility of losing a key coach, but it has zero idea who its starting quarterback will be, with J.J. McCarthy consistently dealing with injuries and underwhelming when he was in the lineup.
All of this adds up to good news for the Bears, who have the inside track to a long Super Bowl window and are frustrating their rivals. It is a welcome change after years of the Green Bay Packers haunting the Bears and a short window of success for the Lions.
For Flores, it makes sense to seek out a head coaching role now as the Vikings are heading in the wrong direction, and the coordinator still has good standing throughout the league. Flores previously served as head coach of the Dolphins and led the franchise to two winning seasons, arguably setting the tone for the success the recently fired Mike McDaniel would have in his early tenure. The point remains that parting ways with Flores is a loss for the Vikings and a benefit for a team that is firmly in the driver's seat in the NFC North.