While the Miami Dolphins have been busy already this offseason, their former head coach is in the news, once again.
On Wednesday, a federal judge rejected arbitration of the lawsuit that was filed against the league and three teams by Brian Flores, who Miami fired last January. The suit claimed that the league was “rife with racism,” especially considering the hiring practices of Black coaches.
Flores’ claims against the Denver Broncos, New York Giants and Houston Texans will be heard a decided by a jury, but those against the Dolphins, specifically, would have to be pursued through arbitration.
Flores claimed in the suit that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross told him that the coach would be paid $100,000 for every loss during the team’s 2019 season, his first with the team. He also alleged that he was pressured into tampering with a high-profile quarterback, and when he refused both he was painted in a negative light as someone who was angry and difficult to work with.
Douglas H. Wigdor, Flores’ lawyer, released a statement after the ruling, expressing mixed emotions regarding the results.
Statement from Brian Flores’ lawyer: https://t.co/pJy5IbsVSh pic.twitter.com/r8OOSAcNcD
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) March 1, 2023
Now, it will take some time for any of this to be figured out, but the coach is closer to a resolution than he was before this stage.
Flores was recently hired as the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator after spending 2022 as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
