Brian Flores was just one of many longshot candidates to be the Arizona Cardinals’ head coach when DraftKings unveiled its initial odds last week.
Sean Payton has been the favorite from the get-go, while Vance Joseph remains second in the betting odds.
However, Flores is now right in the mix following the news that he is going to get an interview with the team for the job vacated by Kliff Kingsbury.
Flores’ odds opened at 50/1, dropped to +1000, then +750 and now sit at +650 as the process heats up.
Here are the top-10 candidates for the Cardinals’ job, according to DraftKings on the morning of January 16:
- Sean Payton +300
- Vance Joseph +350
- Brian Flores +650
- DeMeco Ryans +700
- Ben Johnson +1200
- Shane Steichen +1500
- Byron Leftwich +1700
- Eric Bieniemy +1800
- Mike Kafka +1800
- Jim Harbaugh +2000
The four coaches with the best odds are all expected to be interviewed for the job, so it makes sense that they lead the list.
According to longtime Cardinals insider Mike Jurecki, Flores impressed current co-interim general manager Adrian Wilson during their time together in New England.
Flores, the former Dolphins coach, would be an about-face from Kingsbury. He is a defensive mind and someone who would be sure to hold players accountable.
An interesting wrinkle to this is that Flores is suing the Dolphins, Giants and Broncos for racist hiring practices, and it’s a suit that former Cardinals coach Steve Wilks joined with allegations of discrimination by Arizona.
It doesn’t seem as if the lawsuit is deterring owner Michael Bidwill from taking a close look at Flores, who was a defensive assistant coach with the Steelers this past season.
Payton’s odds haven’t budged in the past few days, even as the Chargers blew a 27-0 lead against the Jaguars, which led to widespread speculation that Brandon Staley could get fired. Los Angeles hasn’t made that move, and at this point it seems more likely than not Staley returns.
Another hurdle comes on Monday. The Dallas Cowboys face off with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild card round, and if Dallas loses, there is speculation Mike McCarthy could get fired.
If that happens, Payton would be the odds-on favorite to land the Cowboys gig, as the pairing has long been discussed. It’s unknown when a decision will be made by Bidwill, but Flores is now right in the mix of options to become the Cardinals’ next head coach.
The Cardinals are also in search of a general manager. Bidwill has reportedly interviewed a host of candidates, and I’m hearing that Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham is at or near the top of the list for that vacancy. Cunningham began his career with the Baltimore Ravens and also spent several years with the Philadelphia Eagles, two of the most forward-thinking organizations in the NFL.
