Minnesota Vikings in danger of losing talented assistant, and it would be a huge blow for Brian Flores
Daronte Jones is set to have his fifth interview of the coaching cycle, and it’s his third in the NFC East.
The Minnesota Vikings had the cloud of defensive coordinator Brian Flores hanging over them for the majority of the offseason. That cloud shrunk on Wednesday with Flores signing an extension, and clearing up completely with the Pittsburgh Steelers choosing to hire Mike McCarthy over him.
With Flores essentially guaranteed to return in 2026, the focus is now on the assistant coaches. We know the Vikings are going to replace offensive line coach Chris Kuper, and defensive line coach Marcus Dixon is taking outside interviews with his contract expiring.
Daronte Jones interviewing with fifth team for defensive coordinator job
The Vikings’ passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach, Daronte Jones, has been a very popular coach for teams across the league, and for good reason. He’s a rising star on the defensive side of the football, and the rest of the league knows it. He is reportedly interviewing for the Washington Commanders’ defensive coordinator job on Sunday.
This is the fifth team that Jones has been requested to interview with.
- Dallas Cowboys
- Green Bay Packers
- New York Giants
- New York Jets
Jones has been a realy good coach for the Vikings under Flores, but he didn’t start with the Vikings when Flores was hired. Mike Zimmer initially brought him in for the 2020 season, and he left after that to be the defensive coordinator for the LSU Tigers. Unfortunately, his head coach, Ed Orgeron, got fired and he returned to the Vikings in 2022 when Kevin O’Connell took the job. He’s got a bevy of experience in different systems, which is appealing for many reasons.
Jones was a finalist for the Cowboys defensive coordinator job, including getting a second interview, but that went to Philadelphia Eagles defensive backs coach Christian Parker. If the Commanders bring in Jones as their defensive coordinator, it will be a significant shift for Dan Quinn, but he’s been willing to make significant changes when necessary for the betterment of the football team.
It’s not a certainty that Jones leaves the Vikings, but getting five interviews and returning would be a surprise.
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