Vikings minicamp practice, Coach Flores stepped in front of the assembled media. The coach’s reflections on James Pierre meant offering exclusively positive thoughts, calling him a “pro’s pro” who works hard and is professional. All of these abilities and attributes led to coveting the corner for a while: “He’s a name that I’ve been bringing up for a while. Glad we finally got him. And I think he’s going to be a good addition.”

Football Brian Flores has Been After James Pierre for a While

Once upon a time, Flores advocated for Isaiah Rodgers. The corner with all-world speed became a Viking after agreeing on a two-year deal totalling $11 million in promised pay (OTC). At that rate, Rodgers is a bargain.

So, too, did Pierre get added after a reasonably modest two-year agreement. His is even lower than the Rodgers deal, coming in a touch above $8.5 million. Note: that’s not per season. Rather, Pierre’s compensation comes in at an average of $4.25 million annually, meaning there’s a pile of room to outperform the compensation.

Apparently, passers had a combined 52.8 passer rating when going after him in 2025. Any QB who had that passer rating would be benched in short order. Just as a point of reference, Max Brosmer had a 53.0 passer rating last season. The comparison isn’t perfect, but the general takeaway is that QBs looked a bit like Brosmer when they went after Pierre last year.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.