Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores responded Tuesday to criticism from Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who called Miami’s former head coach a ‘terrible person’ after working together for two seasons in South Florida.
Interestingly, the 43-year-old Flores didn’t deny Tagovailoa’s accusations, but rather, sought to explain himself to media.
‘Look, I’m human,’ Flores told reporters at the Vikings facility on Tuesday. ‘So, you know, that hit me in a way that wasn’t — I wouldn’t say it was positive for me. But at the same time, I’ve got to use that and say, ”Hey, how can I grow from that? How can I be better?” And that’s really where I’m at from that standpoint.’
Speaking with podcast host Dan Le Batard on Monday, Tagovailoa unleashed on Flores, whom he described as a malcontent coach fixated on finding the negative aspect of any situation. He specifically contrasted Flores with his replacement in Miami, Mike McDaniel, who Tagovailoa describes as a positive person.
‘To put in simplest terms, if you woke up every morning and I told you you suck at what you did, that you don’t belong doing what you do, that you shouldn’t be here, that this guy should be here, that you haven’t earned this right, and then you have somebody else come in and tell you, ‘Dude, you are the best fit for this,” Tagovailoa said.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (right) called Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores (left) a ‘terrible person’ during a recent radio interview
Flores and Tagovailoa are pictured together during a Dolphins practice in 2021 or 2022
‘Like, how would it make you feel listening to one or the other? You hear it more and more, you start to actually believe it.
‘You have a terrible person that’s telling you things that you don’t wanna hear or you probably shouldn’t be hearing, you’re gonna start to believe that about yourself.’
Flores didn’t necessarily agree with that assessment, but he’s not rejecting it entirely.
‘Do I feel like that’s me?’ he asked himself. ‘No. But, you know, how can I grow from that situation and create a world where that’s not the case that anyone says that about Brian Flores?’
But Flores also believes some of his negativity in Miami stemmed from his desire to make his players better.
And while he went just 24-25 in three seasons with the Dolphins, Flores isn’t making any apologies for his efforts to improve things in Miami.
‘I think, you know, part of coaching is correcting, you know, I’m always gonna correct,’ Flores said. ‘I’m always gonna have a high standard. And I think, you know, look, I’ve done a lot of reflecting and — on this situation . . . reflecting on the situation, communication, you know, I think there’s things that I could do better, for sure.
‘And I’ve grown in that way. And I’ve tried to apply the things that I can do better and the things that I’ve learned over the last 2-3 years.
‘But I would say over the long haul I’ve had a lot of great relationships over my 21-year career here in the league,’ he continued. ‘Players, coaches, personnel, equipment, you know, people in the kitchen, really across the board. I’ve had a lot of great relationships. I’m going to continue to do that. But I’m also always looking to get better and evolve.’
One such relationship is Flores’ bond with cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who joined the Vikings this week. The two previously worked together when Flores called defensive plays for the New England Patriots and apparently felt strong enough about the coordinator to work with him again in Minneapolis.
Furthermore, Vikings teammates Harrison Phillips and Josh Metellus attended the press conference in an apparent show of solidarity with Flores.
