The nasty breakup between the Miami Dolphins and their former head coach Brian Flores is far from over.
Flores has been forthcoming that he is proceeding with the lawsuit even if it comes at the detriment of his NFL coaching career.
Brian Flores isn't about to back down.
(via @IAMATHLETEpod) pic.twitter.com/71ibTvch2s
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) February 22, 2022
Thankfully, Flores is employed for the 2022 season.
Flores is a capable and qualified head coach so it may only be a pit stop in Pittsburgh for 2022 to serve as the senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach.
In the meantime, Flores continues to share unflattering information about his former employer, the Miami Dolphins.
What Flores Said
It is common practice in the NFL if a coach is fired before his contract expires, for an agreement to be signed that essentially acts as a nondisclosure agreement.
The coach is compensated for his silence.
Flores says the Dolphins offered him this same deal, and he rejected the offer because he did not want a price tag assigned to his silence.
His lawyer Doug Wigdor doubled down on this assertion by saying:
“If it was about the money, he would have signed it. What he did instead was he filed this lawsuit so that he could help other coaches, now … and in the future.”
Wigdor also had evidence of the proposed agreement and provided screenshots of it.
In response to the #Dolphins calling Brian Flores' assertion of an NDA "categorically false," below are screenshots from the draft agreement & payment termination notice.
If #BrianFlores had signed this, he would have been gagged and unable to talk about his experience.#NFL pic.twitter.com/rlEgTXsd4I
— WigdorLaw (@WigdorLaw) February 23, 2022
What The Dolphins Said
As expected, the Dolphins deny offering Flores any such deal.
“This latest assertion by Brian Flores that Steve Ross mentioned an NDA to him is categorically false. This just did not happen..”
The Dolphins say that they are in full cooperation with the NFL investigation.
Former #Dolphins HC Brian Flores told HBO’s “Real Sports” that owner Stephen Ross asked him to sign a non-disparagement agreement (NDA) upon getting fired. Flores says he refused, leaving a lot of money on the table.#Dolphins have responded, saying it's "categorically false." pic.twitter.com/6Hev9xopAD
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 22, 2022
Status Of The NFL Investigation
The NFL is reportedly investigating Flores’ claim that he was offered money by owner Stephen Ross to lose games.
There have been no updates on how that investigation is proceeding.
Ross is at risk of losing the team if what Flores alleges is proven to be true.
Flores has no reason to lie and appears to be credible throughout this process.
He also has indicated that he has evidence and witnesses to substantiate the tanking claims so that it does not just come down to his word against Ross’s word.
Flores’ Steelers Job
His new job with the Steelers happened quickly and began as a phone call that Flores made to Tomlin to seek his counsel.
The Tomlin and Flores partnership should be an exciting one, and the Steelers will benefit from having Flores on staff.
Pittsburgh Steelers 🤝 Brian Flores
Here's why @Ike_SwagginU and I are excited about the hire. https://t.co/wNZLqR2TUV@BleavPodcasts | #NFL | #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/HFR2Yh2smg
— Mark Bergin (@mdbergin) February 23, 2022
Conclusion
There is no in-between area in the accusations between Flores and Ross.
One of them is not telling the truth.
It is up to the NFL to be thorough, fair, and expeditious in the handling of this matter.
Until it is resolved, it casts a very public and negative shadow on the competitiveness and fairness of the league.
