NFL To Fight Former Dolphins Coach's Racial Discrimination Suit

MIAMI, FL — The NFL vowed to defend against a lawsuit and a former coach's claims of racial discrimination, which the league said were "without merit" in a statement Tuesday.

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores is suing the NFL, Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos and New York Giants, along with other unnamed teams, accusing them of racial discrimination and practices that have the league and its teams operating like a "plantation," according to court documents.

"The NFL and our clubs are deeply committed to ensuring equitable employment practices and continue to make progress in providing equitable opportunities throughout our organizations," the NFL said. "Diversity is core to everything we do, and there are few issues on which our clubs and our internal leadership team spend more time."

Flores filed a lawsuit in a New York federal court Tuesday, naming the league, Dolphins, Broncos, Giants and 29 "John Doe" teams as defendants, court documents show. There are 29 other NFL teams other than the three named organizations.

The complaint accuses the league of not interviewing Black candidates in good faith for high-level positions such as head coach and general manager under the Rooney Rule, which requires teams with vacancies in those positions to interview at least two people of color.

The lawsuit claims the Rooney Rule hasn't achieved its purpose of diversifying the league, instead leaving it racially segregated and limiting the post-career opportunities for Black players who wish to have coaching or executive roles in the league.

Further, Flores said he experienced discrimination as head coach of the Dolphins soon after he was hired in 2019 as he was pressured to "tank" for the first overall draft pick. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered Flores $100,000 per loss, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit accuses the Dolphins of pressuring Flores to violate NFL tampering rules to recruit a "prominent quarterback" following the 2019 season. Flores rejected a "convenient" meeting with the quarterback and Ross aboard a yacht and was ostracized for the rest of his tenure, according to the complaint.

Then-New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who had an established relationship with Flores from their time in New England, was among a high-profile free agent QB class that offseason.

The Palm Beach Post's Joe Schad reported Tuesday that Brady was the unnamed quarterback in the lawsuit, citing league sources.

Flores coached the Dolphins from 2019-'21 before being fired last month. Before being hired in Miami, he was the Patriots' linebackers coach from 2016-'18 and had served in various assistant roles in the organization since 2004.

In his last two years, Flores coached the Dolphins to their first back-to-back winning seasons since 2003. He ended his tenure in Miami with a 24-25 overall record.

Flores interviewed for the New York Giants' head coach vacancy last week but said that he received a congratulatory text from Patriots coach Bill Belichick meant for Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll three days before his interview, the complaint said. On Friday, the Giants announced the hiring of Daboll, who is white.

When Flores responded to Belichick's text asking for clarification on if it was meant for him or Daboll, Belichick responded, "Sorry — I f---ed this up. I double checked and misread the text. I think they are naming Daboll. I'm sorry about that. BB," according to the complaint, which has photos of the text exchange attached.

The complaint also accuses the Denver Broncos of conducting a "sham interview" with Flores "held only in an effort to comply with the Rooney Rule" in 2019. Then-General Manager John Elway, President and CEO Joe Ellis and other Broncos executives showed up an hour late to the interview in a "disheveled" state because they had been drinking the night before, according to the lawsuit.

In a statement to NFL Network's Mike Giardi, Flores acknowledged that by filing the lawsuit he is risking his coaching career.

"My sincere hope is that by standing up against systemic racism in the NFL, others will join me to ensure that positive change is made for generations to come," Flores said in the statement.