Former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores addressed the rumors that he and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa did not have a strong relationship.
Flores joined the ”I Am Athlete“ podcast this week and discussed his thoughts on their relationship, which he says is positive.
”This is an interesting topic because it wasn’t strained,“ Flores said. ”We had a good relationship. It was a player-coach relationship, and I think in a relationship like that, the coach challenges the player, and often times, the player challenges the coach. I think there was a great deal of respect between the two of us.“
During his two years coaching Tagovailoa in Miami, the quarterback started in only 21 games. Tagovailoa began his rookie season behind Ryan Fitzpatrick before taking over the job and then dealt with various injuries during the 2021–22 season.
Throughout those two years, there were various rumors surrounding Tagovailoa’s happiness with the Dolphins, after being named starting quarterback. At first, there were questions about why Flores started Tagovailoa over Fitzpatrick for part of the ’20 season after strong play by the veteran. In ’21, there were rumors that Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, who didn’t play this past season due to legal issues surrounding him, would be traded to Miami to start over Tagovailoa. Watson faces 22 active civil lawsuits and reportedly 10 criminal complaints stemming from allegations of sexual misconduct by numerous women.
These situations are part of what sparked the rumor surrounding Flores and Tagovailoa’s rocky relationship.
”So, you hear these crazy kind of, this narrative that’s out there. But, this is a young man who works, who developed and got better over two years, and I think he’s got a bright future. I wish him all the best,“ Flores said. ”So, the world can think what it wants to think. I think, ask Tua. I'm here to say what I gotta say, and ask him. I think he’d say the same thing.“
Flores is currently involved in a lawsuit against the NFL and three franchises, including the Dolphins, and unidentified individuals, in regards to alleged racism in hiring practices.
