Two Minnesota Vikings starters stood by defensive coordinator Brian Flores as he prepared to respond to the sharp criticism of his character and coaching style publicly made by Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. This show of support from his current team was something Flores appreciated, even though he admitted that Tagovailoa’s criticism hurt him.
Flores addressed the criticism during his scheduled news conference on Tuesday at the Vikings’ facility.
“I’m genuinely happy for the success that Tua’s had, and I really wish him nothing but the best,” Flores said. “I think player relationships are very important to me. I think that’s kind of the foundation of coaching.
I got into coaching because I was impacted as a young guy by my high school coaches, my college coaches, even going all the way back to Pop Warner. I got into coaching because I want to make that same type of positive impact.”
Tagovailoa mentioned on “The Dan LeBatard Show” that he has thrived under Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel because of the different treatment he received compared to his experience with Flores, which affected his self-esteem.
Tagovailoa, who recently signed a four-year contract extension to remain with the Dolphins, said in the interview that it took him the past two years to overcome the negative thoughts.
“I don’t care who you are. You can be the president of the United States. You have a terrible person that’s telling you things that you don’t want to hear or that you probably shouldn’t ever hear, you’re going to start to believe that about yourself, and so that’s sort of like what ended up happening,” Tagovailoa said.
When asked about this criticism, Flores said, “I’m human, so that hit me in a way that I wouldn’t say was positive for me. At the same time, I’ve got to use that and say, ‘Hey, how can I grow from that? How can I be better?’
That’s really where I’m at from that standpoint. Do I feel like that’s me? No. How can I grow from that situation and create a world where that’s not the case that anyone says that about Brian Flores?”
Flores worked his way up through the New England Patriots under the strict and demanding head coach Bill Belichick, leaving for Miami after their latest Super Bowl win in the 2018 season. Flores then coached the Dolphins for three years, with a record of 24-25.
Soon after being fired, Flores, who is Black, filed a lawsuit against the NFL, claiming racial discrimination in hiring practices. The case has been in the legal system for about 2½ years and is still ongoing.
After one season as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Flores was hired to lead the Minnesota Vikings’ defense, making a noticeable impact in his first year.
Tagovailoa, who was the fifth overall pick in the 2020 draft, threw for career highs of 4,624 yards and 29 touchdowns for the Dolphins last season.
The Dolphins and Vikings are in different conferences and are not scheduled to play against each other again until 2026 in Minnesota. However, Flores said he has thought about reaching out to Tagovailoa to clear the air between them.
“Maybe if that time arises or is available, I’m certainly open to that. But I’ve got a lot of other things going on too as he does,” Flores said. “I’m just really focused on the guys here and the work that we’re putting in here.”
Two of those players, safety Josh Metellus and defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, stood by him at the lectern during his session.
“Just letting him know we’re behind him,” Metellus said. Phillips added as he walked away: “You’re a real one, Flo!”
Later, Flores was asked if he saw his time with the Dolphins the same way Tagovailoa does.
“I’ve done a lot of reflecting on the situation and the communication. I think there’s things that I can do better, for sure, and I’ve grown in that way and I’ve tried to apply the things that I can do better and the things that I’ve learned over the last two or three years,” Flores said.
