The Minnesota Vikings appear highly likely to hold onto defensive coordinator Brian Flores, but the franchise has lost one of his top lieutenants to the Washington Commanders.
Washington hired Daronte Jones, formerly Minnesota’s pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach, as its new defensive coordinator on Monday evening, January 26.
“Source: Commanders are finalizing a deal to hire Vikings defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Daronte Jones as their defensive coordinator,” Adam Schefter of ESPN reported via X.
“Daronte Jones was interviewed by at least five teams for their DC opening this month. Clearly a highly-coveted candidate,” ESPN’s Field Yates added in a repost of Schefter’s report. “A homecoming for Jones, who was born in Maryland.”
Daronte Jones Spent Five of Past Six Years as Member of Vikings’ Defensive Coaching Staff
Jones, 47 years old, got his start in the NFL as the assistant defensive backs coach with the Miami Dolphins in 2016, where he worked for two years.
He then spent two seasons as the cornerbacks coach/secondary coach with the Cincinnati Bengals before taking a job with Minnesota as the defensive backs coach in 2020. Jones was with the Vikings for one campaign before heading to the collegiate ranks as LSU’s defensive coordinator for one season.
Jones was back with Minnesota in 2022 as the defensive backs coach, serving in that role for two years. He then moved into the position of defensive pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach, which he held for the past two seasons.
He now takes over Dan Quinn’s defense in Washington heading into Quinn’s third year as the Commanders’ head coach. The team went to the NFC Championship Game two seasons back but fell flat in 2025, going 5-12 and missing the playoffs.
Brian Flores Also Interviewed for Commanders’ Defensive Coordinator Position
Flores also interviewed for the Commanders’ open DC position before ultimately re-upping with the Vikings on a new contract to remain in that job with Minnesota.
He interviewed with the Baltimore Ravens for their head coaching vacancy and had two interviews for the job of head coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers in January as well.
However, Baltimore ended up hiring former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter as its newest sideline leader, while Pittsburgh inked former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy to run their team after a year off in 2025.
Washington tried to land Jonathan Gannon, most recently the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals for the past three seasons, to be their new defensive coordinator. However, he ended up taking the same position in Green Bay.
The Commanders also interviewed recently fired Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris for the job, but he is holding out as he remains in contention to replace Gannon in Arizona.
After striking out with the biggest DC names on the market in Gannon, Morris and Flores, Washington turned to Jones as its answer moving forward.
