Brian Flores is currently suing three NFL teams for racial discrimination, including the Miami Dolphins, whom he coached for three seasons. Flores had some good success with the team, however, it wasn’t enough to keep his job. There are various theories as to why he was let go, and one of them involves a reported feud with quarterback Tua Tagavailoa.
The rumor was that Flores did not believe in Tua, which went against the thoughts and feelings of management. During a recent appearance on the “I Am Athlete” podcast, Flores sought to put those theories to rest, as he claimed that his relationship with the quarterback was just fine.
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“I think we had a good relationship,” Flores said. “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. There was a great deal of respect between the two of us. So you hear this crazy kind of narrative that’s out there, but this is a young man who works, developed, and got better over 2 years and I think he’s got a bright future.”
Coaches and QBs are always at odds with one another. We saw it with the New England Patriots when Tom Brady and Bill Belichick were together. The difference there is that these two won 6 Super Bowls together. Tagovailoa, on the other hand, still has a lot to prove.
You can watch the full interview with Flores, above.