Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross responded after the NFL stripped the franchise of draft picks over multiple tampering violations.
In the statement, Ross pronounced himself fully vindicated from former coach Brian Flores’ tanking allegations and that the issue “is now put to rest.” Ross added that he “strongly disagree(s)” with the tampering conclusions but will not fight the outcome as he does not want to be a distraction for the team.
Ross’s statement still seems fairly out of touch. While it is true that the NFL did not confirm the most significant allegations Flores made, the investigation suggested that Ross still joked about paying Flores by the loss. It also suggested that, while Ross did not directly incentivize losing games in 2019, he very much prioritized draft position over on-field success. That is probably not the kind of organizational culture one would want to brag about.
The initial allegations against Ross were severe enough that there was reportedly some danger that he would be made to sell the team if they were shown to be true. That likely will not happen now, but in light of everything else in the NFL’s report, the organization would probably be better off if he stays far away from the spotlight for the time being.
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