As the Las Vegas Raiders navigate the search for their next head coach, it wouldn't be surprising to see them hire someone with ties to minority owner Tom Brady.
The Raiders made it clear that Brady will be part of the process, along with general manager John Spytek. That means Brady is going to have a ton of influence on the decision and he could opt for someone he knows well.
One possible candidate who fits the bill is Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who USA TODAY's Nick Brinkerhoff predicts will eventually land the Raiders gig.
Brinkerhoff then goes on to suggest former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll as someone who could go along with Flores to Vegas.
Make no mistake, Flores is an attractive candidate. He has routinely coached some of the league's better, more aggressive defenses. It didn't end well in Miami. Flores also has ongoing lawsuits against the league and several teams. Those cases were filed in 2022, alleging racial discrimination in the hiring process.
None of that prevents the Raiders from hiring Flores though. In fact, he might be one of those coaches who thrives after being given a second chance. Could Daboll also be someone who joins Flores in the desert? Given their dysfunction over the past few seasons, the Raiders need a stabilizing force like Flores.
A former scout and coach with the New England Patriots, Flores spent 15 seasons in the organization, all of which Brady was present for.
Flores is considered one of the better defensive play-callers in the NFL and is expected to garner interest for head-coaching jobs this cycle.
Flores already has head-coaching experience from his three seasons with the Miami Dolphins, where he posted two winning campaigns before being ousted.
He joined the Vikings as their defensive coordinator in 2023 after a one-year stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Minnesota sported one of the league's best defenses in 2025.
In per-game averages, the Vikings finished third in total yards allowed, second in passing yards and seventh in points.
While we would prefer the Raiders hire an offensive-minded coach given the fact that Las Vegas is likely to draft a quarterback in 2026, landing Flores would still amount to a strong hire for Brady and Spytek.
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