Did Javon Hargrave Throw Shade or Speak Truth About Brian Flores' Scheme?

Javon Hargrave is catching heat after reposting a comment on X that suggests Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores' scheme isn't good for defensive linemen who "wanna get to the QB."

#Vikikgs DL Javon Hargrave’s recent retweet: pic.twitter.com/0FTFnnXiQk
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) March 5, 2026

Is Hargrave throwing shade at his soon-to-be former defensive boss, or is he simply stating a fact?

It might be a little bit of both. Hargrave isn't the first Vikings defensive tackle to acknowledge that Flores' scheme, which has produced top-tier defenses in Minnesota, doesn't always yield big sack numbers for interior linemen. In 2024, former Vikings defensive tackle Harrison Phillips commented on the very issue.

"My initial thoughts selfishly were not super high about this," Phillips told ESPN's Kevin Seifert. "It was like, 'Dang, the way it's being described is you're an edge setter, you're a cutback player. It seemed like there was not going to be a lot of production through the system.'"

Phillips made that comment after the 2023 season, Flores' first with the Vikings, when his defense featured more snaps without a defensive lineman on the field (180) than any team going back to at least 2006, according to Seifert. They used three or more defensive linemen on just 386 snaps, the third-fewest in the NFL.

Adam Schefter reported on March 1 that Minnesota plans to release Hargrave and running back Aaron Jones if they're unable to find a trade partner. Doing so will save the Vikings $18.65 million in cap space. Hargrave was due to make $15 million in 2026 while carrying a $21.5 million cap hit.

The Vikings are also reportedly releasing defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, who signed a three-year, $51 million contract last March. Releasing Allen will create $6.5 million cap space, but the Vikings will eat more than $17 million in dead money, according to Over the Cap.

Neither big free agent acquisition lived up to the hype from the statistical lens, and their pass rush grades from Pro Football Focus were among the lowest of their respective careers.

Allen led the DT room with just over 800 snaps. He finished with 3.5 sacks and seven total tackles for loss. Out of 115 defensive tackles who played at least 300 snaps, Allen's 53.2 PFF grade was tied for 77th. Notably, he earned his lowest pass rush grade since 2019. Allen had 6 QB pressures in Week 1 and then had 28 in the final 16 games.

Hargrave's 70.0 passing grade from PFF was his lowest since 2016, and he tallied only 3.5 sacks with Minnesota. He peaked with the Eagles in 2021 and 2022 with pass rush grades of 91.6 and 91.1, respectively, while combining for 22 sacks. Then he had eight sacks with the 49ers in 2023 before missing most of the 2024 season with a torn triceps.

If Hargrave and Allen want a chance to rack up sacks, then Flores' scheme really might not be the best for them. But if they want to play for a high-end defense, then the scheme is perfect.

The 2025-26 Vikings ranked third in total defense, second against the pass, and seventh in points allowed. In 2024-25, they had the fifth-best scoring defense, while finishing second against the run and 28th against the pass.

Going from 28th to second against the pass without defensive tackles racking up sacks is a pretty good indicator that Flores knows what he's doing. And at the end of the day, Jalen Redmond, who plays defensive tackle in Flores' scheme, fared quite well last season.

Redmond played nearly 800 defensive snaps and recorded 35 pressures, 12 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, and 5 passes defended. Among the 62 NFL DTs who played at least 500 snaps, Redmond's 72.7 PFF grade ranked 15th.