Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filed a class-action racial discrimination lawsuit on Tuesday against the NFL and three of its teams — the Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, and Denver Broncos — that featured numerous jarring allegations.
Several of the eye-opening claims were against Dolphins owner Stephen Ross. In the lawsuit, Flores claims that Ross offered him $100,000 for every loss during the 2019 season, essentially bribing Flores to tank so that Miami would have improved draft position.
“Mr. Ross wanted Mr. Flores to “tank” the season to put the team in position to secure the first pick in the draft. Indeed, during the 2019 season, Mr. Ross told Mr. Flores that he would pay him $100,000 for each game lost that year. Then, when the Dolphins started winning games, due in no small part to Mr. Flores’ coaching, Mr. Flores was told by the team’s General Manager, Chris Grier, that “Steve” was “mad” that Mr. Flores’ success in winning games that year was “compromising [the team’s] draft position.
Additionally, Flores alleges that Ross tried to make him recruit a “prominent quarterback” in violation of the league’s tampering rules; Flores claims that he refused and was then treated “with disdain and held out as someone who was noncompliant and difficult to work with.”
“After the end of the 2019 season, Mr. Ross began to pressure Mr. Flores to recruit a prominent quarterback in violation of League tampering rules. Mr. Flores repeatedly refused to comply with these improper directives. Undeterred, in the winter of 2020, Mr. Ross invited Mr. Flores onto a yacht for lunch. Shortly after he arrived, Mr. Ross told Mr. Flores that the prominent quarterback was “conveniently” arriving at the marina. Obviously, Mr. Ross had attempted to “set up” a purportedly impromptu meeting between Mr. Flores and the prominent quarterback. Mr. Flores refused the meeting and left the yacht immediately. After the incident, Mr. Flores was treated with disdain and held out as someone who was noncompliant and difficult to work with.”
Well, more than 24 hours later (and nearly midnight on the east coast), Ross released a statement in response to the allegations.
In the statement, Ross says that Flores’ allegations are “false, malicious, and defamatory.”
Ross adds that he “[welcomes] the investigation” and is “eager to defend [his] personal integrity, and the integrity of the values of the entire Miami Dolphins organization, from these baseless, unfair, and disparaging claims.”
Miami Dolphins owner Steve Ross releases statement regarding ex-coach Brian Flores’ allegations and league’s impending investigation. pic.twitter.com/MNh77U1fuQ
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) February 3, 2022
“With regards to the allegations being made by Brian Flores, I am a man of honor and integrity and cannot let them stand without responding. I take great personal exception to these malicious attacks, and the truth must be known.
His allegations are false, malicious, and defamatory. We understand there are media reports stating that the NFL intends to investigate his claims, and we will cooperate fully. I welcome that investigation and I am eager to defend my personal integrity, and the integrity and values of the entire Miami Dolphins organization, from these baseless, unfair, and disparaging claims.”
Flores was fired by the Dolphins on January 10 after coaching the team for three seasons, and the decision came as a shock to the NFL world. Miami went 9-8 under Flores’ leadership in 2021, highlighted by an 8-1 finish and 2-0 record vs Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. That’s after the Dolphins went 10-6 in 2020. And many football evaluators even consider the 5-11 record in 2019 to be Flores’ most impressive coaching performance, considering the extreme lack of talent on that Miami roster. That’s the season Flores claims Ross wanted him to tank, but Flores instead had the Dolphins maximizing its roster talent.
