Brian Flores alleges racist hiring practices in lawsuit filed against NFL

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filed a class action lawsuit against the NFL and its 32 teams Tuesday, alleging that racial discrimination caused him to be fired in January and kept him from being considered for the New York Giants' head coaching job.

"The NFL remains rife with racism, particularly when it comes to the hiring and retention of Black Head Coaches, Coordinators, and General Managers," the lawsuit reads. "Over the years, the NFL and its 32-member organizations have been given every chance to do the right thing. Rules have been implemented, promises made -- but nothing has changed. In fact, the racial discrimination has only been made worse by the NFL's disingenuous commitment to social equity."

In the lawsuit, Flores alleges his relationship with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross was frayed in 2019, Flores' first season with the team. The coach says Ross directed him to "tank" for the first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft -- even offering Flores $100,000 for each loss -- and was mad that the Dolphins won five games instead.

Flores also says Ross pressured him to break NFL tampering rules "to recruit a prominent quarterback," even setting up a meeting between the coach and quarterback. Pro Football Talk reported in January that Ross was "obsessed" with acquiring Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson during the 2021 season.

In a piece of damning evidence, Flores also released screenshots of text messages with New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who mistakenly believed he was texting Brian Daboll. Belichick congratulated Daboll on getting the Giants coaching job three days before Flores even interviewed for the position.