The Minnesota Vikings' quest to find its next defensive coordinator might have encountered a bump in the road.

Minnesota is looking to find the right candidate to take over the defense after the team fired Ed Donatell from the position. The Vikings have keyed in on multiple candidates, who are all qualified for the job.

External candidates such as Steelers LB coach Brian Flores, Seahawks associate head coach Sean Desai and Minnesota’s assistant head coach Mike Pettine have all been interviewed by the Vikings.

However, a new report revealed the Vikings’ top choice could be Broncos DC Ejiro Evero.

The reason the Vikings' search for a defensive coordinator has been quiet lately is that, per sources, they're waiting to see if they can get an interview with the Denver Broncos' Ejiro Evero. At the moment, he's a candidate for the head coach job in Indianapolis and Arizona.

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) February 1, 2023

Interestingly enough, the Denver Broncos, under new head coach Sean Payton, have interest in all three of the Vikings’ external candidates.

In the mix for the Broncos defensive coordinator job are the three outside candidates the Vikings appear to covet — Brian Flores, Ejiro Evero, and Sean Desai.

At this rate, Sean Payton will probably interview Mike Zimmer to keep his DC search totally Vikings-related.

— Dustin Baker (@DustBaker) February 3, 2023

While they are all great options, it’s now looking unlikely that Minnesota will have its pick of the litter.

Payton and the Broncos are certainly throwing a wrench in the Vikings’ plans. He must still be harboring some resentment from the NFC Wild Card game in 2020 where his Saints fell short to the Vikings in a thrilling (depending on one’s perspective) playoff game.

Featured image via Matt Krohn – USA TODAY Sports