Brian Flores filed a lawsuit against the Dolphins, Giants, Broncos and the NFL on Tuesday, alleging racist practices in hiring.
Flores was fired by the Dolphins in January after posting a a 24–25 record over three years with Miami, having narrowly missed the playoffs in his final two seasons. The 40-year-old former linebacker alleged in Tuesday’s lawsuit that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered him a $100,000 bonus for each loss during the 2019 season, in which Ross apparently wanted to secure the league’s worst record and the No. 1 pick in the 2020 draft. Flores didn’t comply with the request.
The former Dolphins coach also alleges Ross tried to get him to recruit “a prominent quarterback” who was under contract to another team during a meeting on the owner’s yacht. Flores says he refused and left the boat before the quarterback may have arrived.
Flores released a statement Tuesday after filing the proposed class-action suit.
“In making the decision to file the class action complaint today, I understand that I may be risking coaching the game that I love and that has done so much for my family and me,” Flores said. “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 also said Tuesday he took part in two ”sham“ interviews as teams attempted to comply with the Rooney Rule. The Giants denied those allegations Tuesday, while the Broncos have yet to release a statement.
