"It wasn't strained" - Brian Flores addresses relationship with former QB Tua Tagovailoa
Since his dismissal from the Miami Dolphins, there has been speculation that former head coach Brian Flores wasn't particularly a fan of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
The speculation came from rumors that the former head coach was interested in trading for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson despite having a young quarterback in Tagovailoa, causing many to assume he no longer had faith in him leading the offense.
Flores recently gave his side of the story when he was a guest on the "I Am Athlete" podcast, which will air this upcoming Monday, February 21, 2022. He cleared up any accusations, saying that he didn't have any issues with Tua Tagovailoa and that there was nothing but professionalism between the two.
“This is an interesting topic, because it wasn’t strained. We had a good relationship. It was a player-coach relationship. And I think in a relationship like that, the coach challenges the player. And often times, the player challenges the coach. And I think there was a great deal of respect between the two of us. So you hear these crazy kind of — this narrative that’s out there."
Flores would continue his statement and gush over Tagovailoa's continued development and projections for the future:
"But this is a young man who works, who developed and got better over two years and, I think he’s got a bright future. I wish him all the best . . . .So the world can think what it wants to think. I think — ask Tua. I’m here to say what I gotta say, and you can ask him. So, I think he’d say the same thing.”-Brian Flores on his relationship with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa
He praised Tua Tagovailoa for his work ethic and acknowledged that he believes that he will have a successful career in the future. The statement should put to rest any remaining speculation over the relationship between the two.
Coach Brian Flores message to @Tua https://t.co/cEWkFZrD59
Did Brian Flores try to trade for QB Deshaun Watson?
Despite leading the Miami Dolphins to a winning record the last two seasons, Brian Flores was fired after the conclusion of the 2021 NFL season.
A few days later, news broke that the former head coach was suing the National Football League, the Miami Dolphins, New York Giants and Denver Broncos.
Amongst the claims of racism, he also said that Dolphins team owner Stephen Ross offered to pay him $100,000 per game to tank or lose games on purpose with the hopes of obtaining a high draft pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Dolphins' Stephen Ross could lose team by owner vote if NFL investigation into tanking allegations proven true (per @RapSheet)
nfl.com/news/dolphins-… https://t.co/MXD3fNkkdX
Also in the allegations, it appears that Flores was trying to convince the Dolphins front office that the team should sign Colin Kaepernick. The team didn't budge but apparently did consider trading for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.
The uncertainty surrounding Watson's current legal battles made the team apprehensive to pursue the quarterback as he is currently under investigation for alleged sexual assault of 22 women.
But it also brought a lingering feeling that the former head coach wasn't sold on Tua Tagovailoa in just his second NFL season.