Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams is about to begin his NFC North rematches, and first up is another shot at the Vikings and renounced defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Williams managed his arsenal of blitzes well in the first meeting three weeks ago and completed 32 of 47 passes for 340 yards, two touchdowns and a 103.1 passer rating.
Flores is arguably the best defensive coordinator in the NFL and should be one of the top head-coaching candidates in the upcoming hiring cycle. He’s a former Boston College teammate of general manager Ryan Poles, and the Bears very likely will interview him. They interviewed him in 2022, before Poles came aboard, but he was not one of their three finalists. The job eventually went to Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, who was fired last month with a 14-32 record in three seasons.
Flores, 43, has had the Vikings in the top half of the league in scoring defense both of his seasons under coach Kevin O’Connell. They are sixth this season, allowing 18.5 points game.
In addition to his success in Minnesota, Flores spent 2022 with the Steelers and was head coach of the Dolphins from 2019 through ’21. After a 5-11 start, the Dolphins went 19-14 under Flores in his next two seasons.