Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones has famously said he would cut a check for an embarrassing amount of money if it meant his team would end its now 30-year drought of reaching the Super Bowl. In the salary cap era, there are limitations for the NFL’s most valuable franchise to buy its way into a Lombardi Trophy run.
However, one area of team building that allows Jones to keep his piggy bank open is spending money on coaches. When Dan Quinn came to Dallas, his salary was never public knowledge; the rumor was that he was making head coach-level money in the $4.5-5 million range to stick with the Cowboys before the 2023 season.
Since Quinn’s departure, the defense has taken a massive step back under Mike Zimmer and now Matt Eberflus. Based on his recent appearances on 105.3 The Fan, Jones sounds more open to the idea of moving on from who he hand-picked to lead the Cowboys’ defense.
Enter Brian Flores.
The Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator has a contract that’s about to expire at the end of the season. The Vikings have made their stance clear. They have every intention of retaining one of the league’s best defensive coordinators in Flores, if he doesn’t land with another team as a head coach. Head coach Kevin O’Connell said he doesn’t anticipate Flores leaving for another defensive coordinator job if offered because “he enjoys being in Minnesota.”
Money talks, and the Cowboys have an owner/general manager who’s talked about how disappointed he was in the defense this season, especially when the offense was performing at such a high level. Being the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator does have its own appeal, beyond the financial benefits that could come with the gig.
Currently, Dallas has arguably the best rotation of defensive tackles under contract for the foreseeable future. Quinnen Williams, Osa Odighizuwa, Kenny Clark, and Solomon Thomas are under contract to return for 2026. Most of the top defenses in the NFL are being built from the inside out, anchored by the interior linemen.
Flores would also have a plethora of young, untapped potential to play with. DeMarvion Overshown could be used similarly to Andrew Van Ginkel in Minnesota as a player who moves all around the defense and can be used as a traditional linebacker or rush from anywhere along the defensive front. Dallas could use more Marist Liufau, Caelen Carson, Shavon Revel, and Markquese Bell, so having a coach in Flores who could get the most out of those players would be beneficial for Dallas’ roster construction.
Someone of Flores’ status, similar to Quinn in 2021, could have a significant say in how Dallas uses its top two draft picks in 2026. In Dane Brugler’s most recent big board for the 2026 NFL Draft, 27 of his top 50 players are all on the defensive side of the ball. The Cowboys’ most glaring holes are on defense, so another defensive-heavy draft class is very likely.
This could all become moot if the Cowboys choose to retain Eberflus for the sake of continuity or if Flores gets another opportunity to lead a team as a head coach. However, with someone as skilled as Flores available on the open market, it might be worth it for Jerry Jones to make a bold move and offer him a substantial contract. We would finally be able to put a price tag on how much the Cowboys’ owner is willing to spend to end the longest championship-less drought in football.
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