Brian Flores is one of the many names being floated as a potential head coach for next year, but one of his former players has a bit of a warning for other teams that might be interested.
Ryan Fitzpatrick spent two seasons (2019 and 2020) with the Dolphins under Flores, who was fired after the 2021 season, and said the former Miami coach's tenure was extremely difficult.
Fitzpatrick said on the “Fitz & Whitt” podcast this week that Flores was “likeable” and “relatable” despite a 5-11 season in his first year in Miami.
However, Fitzpatrick believed that by the end of Flores' tenure with the Dolphins, something had changed that made him “unrecognizable.”
In fact, the former quarterback went so far as to say Flores became akin to a “dictator.”
“But when people say, “Give me some references from Miami who coached under you, so I can talk to them,'' he said he built a lot of bridges there. I think he was alienated from the whole staff,” he told co-host Andrew Whitworth. “I think by the end of his time there, instead of what you were just talking about, humbly asking questions and collaborating, he became a dictator. It ruined the relationship. And his ego got so big that there was no room for anyone else.”
Flores finished back-to-back seasons in 2020 and 2021, but was ultimately fired after missing the playoffs each season.
According to a report from Miami Herald at the time of dismissalFlores wanted more power within the Dolphins organization.
After being fired, he served as an assistant with the Steelers and Vikings, becoming the latter's defensive coordinator in 2023.
This came after he filed a lawsuit against the NFL and a number of teams, including the Dolphins and Giants, alleging discrimination and some teams offering “fake interviews.”
That legal process has not yet been completed.
Flores told reporters this week that he looks forward to speaking with interested teams.
“Obviously, it's an honor to not take it lightly,” Flores said. “I look forward to having these conversations and talking to people about my football journey and my leadership journey.”
Fitzpatrick later wrote in X that he remains friends with Flores and believes the coach “learned a lot.”
“I really like Brian Flores and consider him a friend…It wasn't pretty at the end in Miami, but I think he's grown. “I can look back on my tenure in Miami knowing that I learned a lot,” Fitzpatrick wrote.
The Jets, Jaguars and Bears are among the teams publicly interested in interviewing Flores.
