The Miami Dolphins made the surprising decision on Monday to fire head coach Brian Flores. It sounds like the move was a result of Flores not getting along with several members of the organization, one of which was his starting quarterback.
Dave Hyde of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel published a column on Tuesday criticizing the Dolphins for firing Flores for non-football reasons. In it, Hyde mentioned how Flores and Tua Tagovailoa had some heated exchanges when things were not going well in Miami.
He described one verbal spat at halftime earlier this season:
It started at halftime with a meltdown in the locker room as their season melted down on the field. Coach Brian Flores was angry at quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s dismal half. He said things. Tua said things back.
Anger flew. The f-word – gasp – was traded. Tua said something about Flores not knowing how to talk to people. Flores said something about needing better bleeping play.
It should be noted that Hyde said the disagreements paled in comparison to some of the past ones involving Dolphins legends like Don Shula and Dan Marino. His point was that owner Stephen Ross should have found a way to improve the “communication and collaboration” Ross referred to when announcing on Monday that Flores had been fired.
The Dolphins drafted Tagovailoa with the No. 5 overall pick two years ago, but it’s hard to believe a rift between him and Flores was the sole motivation behind firing the coach. If anything, it seems like the team chose longtime general manager Chris Grier over Flores. Grier has been with the Dolphins since he began as a scout in 2000. He was promoted to GM in 2016. Miami has made the playoffs just twice since 2002.
The Dolphins posted winning records the last two seasons. They finished 9-8 this year and bounced back after a 1-7 start. Flores should find another job fairly quickly and already has an interview lined up. If the Dolphins struggle next season, their decision to move on from Flores will look even worse.
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