With Brian Flores out of mix, Broncos’ focus turns to Sean Desai

Vic Fangio … headed to Miami.

Ejiro Evero … allowed to leave for Carolina.

And Brian Flores is now off to take the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive-coordinator job.

Of the four names connected to the Broncos’ defensive-coordinator position in the wake of Sean Payton’s hiring, the only one still available is Seahawks associate head coach Sean Desai, a former Fangio assistant who spent four years working with the ex-Broncos head coach on the Chicago Bears’ staff.

Flores, the former Miami Dolphins head coach, became the latest name off the list when he assumed Minnesota’s defensive reins. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that news Monday afternoon.

Steelers’ assistant coach Brian Flores is accepting the Vikings’ defensive coordinator job, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 6, 2023

Flores replaces former Broncos defensive coordinator Ed Donatell, who lasted just one season in Minnesota.

Desai has one season of coordinator experience, guiding the Bears defense in 2021. Chicago finished 6th in total defense, 13th in Football Outsiders defensive DVOA and 22nd in scoring defense that year. But the Bears fired coach Matt Nagy after the season, and subsequent staff changes pushed Desai to Seattle.

That was the last year of a nine-season stint with the Bears. That included four years under then-Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio as a defensive quality-control coach. He moved up to safeties coach in 2019 after Fangio and Donatell left Chicago for Denver.

Desai was under consideration for the defensive-coordinator job in Minnesota. But he withdrew his name from consideration over the weekend.

Now, it appears as if Desai is decidedly in Denver’s sights.