Report: Witness Heard Dolphins' Stephen Ross Offer Brian Flores $100K per Loss

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores made waves when he alleged team owner Stephen Ross offered him $100,000 for each loss during the 2019 season to improve draft positioning, and there is reportedly a witness who can back up the allegations.

Flores' accusation against Ross came as part of a larger lawsuit he filed Tuesday against the NFL and its teams alleging racist hiring practices and discrimination.

NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe reported Wednesday a witness said he heard Ross make such an offer to Flores. Wolfe's report also notes "Flores' team says it has evidence including messages from general manager Chris Grier that corroborate the allegations against Ross."

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported the NFL plans on investigating the allegations against Ross.

Flores appeared on CBS Mornings on Wednesday and discussed the allegations against Ross.

"To attack the integrity of the game—that's what I felt was happening in that instance—I wouldn't stand for it," he said. "... I think it hurt my standing within the organization."

The 2019 campaign was Flores' first with the Dolphins, and "tanking" could have helped the team land Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2020 NFL draft. That pick eventually went to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Miami appeared well on its way to landing the top pick when it started 0-7, but it played well down the stretch and finished with a 5-11 record. That resulted in the No. 5 pick, which the organization used on Tua Tagovailoa.

Burrow, who went No. 1, has led the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance this season, and Chase Young, who went No. 2, was the 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Year for the Washington Football Team.

"We are aware of the lawsuit through the media reports that came out this afternoon," the Dolphins said in a statement. "We vehemently deny any allegations of racial discrimination and are proud of the diversity and inclusion throughout our organization. The implication that we acted in a manner inconsistent with the integrity of the game is incorrect. We will be withholding further comment on the lawsuit at this time."

After Flores' lawsuit was filed, former Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson seemed to imply he was also offered additional money to lose games.

He tweeted that owner Jimmy Haslam was "happy while we kept losing" and said "trust me it was a good number" when discussing potential payments:

As for Flores, he led the Dolphins to a 10-6 record in 2020 and 9-8 mark in 2021. It was the first time Miami recorded back-to-back winning seasons since the 2002 and 2003 campaigns, but he was still fired in January.