Dolphins' Stephen Ross Responds to Brian Flores' Tanking, Tampering Allegations

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores' class-action lawsuit against the NFL and its 32 teams includes an allegation that Fins owner Stephen Ross offered to pay him $100,000 per loss during the 2019 season so the team could obtain better 2020 draft picks.

Flores also says that Ross wanted him to speak with a "prominent" under-contract quarterback during the 2020 offseason in violation of the league's tampering rules.

Ross offered this response to Flores' claims Wednesday, calling them "false, malicious and defamatory."

Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald relayed the entire statement:

Flores became the Dolphins' head coach in 2019 as the team began a monstrous rebuild that included a new general manager (Chris Grier) and head coach. The Dolphins were essentially building their roster from scratch and entered the 2019 season with low expectations and without a potential franchise signal-caller.

Miami started 0-7 but finished 5-4 to go 5-11. In his lawsuit, Flores says that Grier told him Ross was "mad" and that the Dolphins' late-season winning was "compromising [the team's] draft position."

As far as the tampering claims, Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post reported that Ross wanted Flores to speak with Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion who has since retired. Brady became a free agent in March 2020 after a 20-year stint in New England.

The lawsuit reads:

"After the end of the 2019 season, Mr. Ross began to pressure Mr. Flores to recruit a prominent quarterback in violation of League tampering rules. Mr. Flores repeatedly refused to comply with these improper directives. "

"Undeterred, in the winter of 2020, Mr. Ross invited Mr. Flores onto a yacht for lunch. Shortly after he arrived, Mr. Ross told Mr. Flores that the prominent quarterback was 'conveniently' arriving at the marina. "

"Obviously, Mr. Ross had attempted to 'set up' a purportedly impromptu meeting between Mr. Flores and the prominent quarterback. Mr. Flores refused the meeting and left the yacht immediately. After the incident, Mr. Flores was treated with disdain and held out as someone who was noncompliant and difficult to work with."

The crux of Flores' lawsuit is his contention that the league "remains rife with racism, particularly when it comes to the hiring and retention of Black Head Coaches, Coordinators and General Managers."

As of Wednesday, only three people of color have NFL head coaching jobs, and only seven hold general manager positions.

Flores was fired after three seasons in Miami (24-25) despite posting winning campaigns in each of his last two years.