Jets request interviews with Vikings' Brian Flores, Josh McCown

New York is also reportedly asking to interview Vikings Senior VP of Player of Personnel, Ryan Grigson.

Oct 24, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores watches from the sidelines against the Los Angeles Rams in the first half at SoFi Stadium. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown have been requested to interview for the New York Jets' head coaching vacancy, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

It's the first of what figures to be multiple requests for Flores — and perhaps McCown as well — from teams with HC openings in the next few weeks. The other vacant jobs at the moment belong to the Jaguars, Patriots, Saints, and Bears.

The Jets are also asking to interview Vikings Senior Vice President of Player of Personnel, Ryan Grigson, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini.

Flores has led one of the NFL's best defenses over the past two seasons since taking over as Minnesota's DC. Since the start of 2023, only the Ravens and Browns rank higher in opponent EPA (expected points added) per play. The Vikings are second behind the Broncos in that metric this year.

Minnesota also finished this regular season fifth in points against, tied for fourth in sacks, and tied with the Steelers for the most takeaways in the league. Flores' complex, aggressive scheme has consistently led to big plays and strong production on third and fourth down.

Formerly the head coach of the Dolphins from 2019-21, the main thing that might be standing between Flores and another chance to lead a team is his ongoing 2022 lawsuit against the NFL, which alleges discrimination in hiring practices. He also must show teams that he's grown since his mishandling of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in Miami.

McCown has only been a coach for two years, but the former longtime journeyman quarterback has earned league-wide respect this year for his role in helping Sam Darnold resurrect his career with a Pro Bowl season. McCown spent two seasons playing for the Jets in 2017 and '18.

The Jets went 5-12 this season in highly disappointing fashion. They fired Robert Saleh in early October and spent the rest of the year with Jeff Ulbrich as their interim coach. Now they're looking for new leadership — they also need a new general manager — amid questions about the stability of Woody Johnson's ownership. There's plenty of talent on New York's roster, but quarterback is a question mark with Aaron Rodgers seemingly unlikely to return in 2025.

---

Stay up to date on all things Vikings by bookmarking Minnesota Vikings On SI, subscribing to our YouTube channel, and signing up to receive our free Vikings newsletter.