Roger Goodell: NFL Will Deal with Brian Flores' Tanking Allegations 'Very Seriously'

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said he will investigate tanking allegations levied by former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores in his lawsuit against the league and several of its teams.

"Integrity of the game is very important," Goodell told reporters Wednesday. "We'll deal with it very seriously."

The commissioner said all the allegations in the lawsuit were "very disturbing."

Flores alleged racial discrimination against the NFL in its hiring practices while also stating that he was fired after refusing to "tank" while head coach of the Dolphins. The lawsuit asserts:

"During the 2019 season, Miami’s owner, Stephen Ross, told Mr. Flores that he would pay him $100,000 for every loss, and the team’s General Manager, Chris Grier, told Mr. Flores that 'Steve' was 'mad' that Mr. Flores' success in winning games that year was 'compromising [the team's] draft position.'"

The Dolphins went 5-11 in Flores' first season before producing a 19-14 record over the last two years.

Former Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson also said he was paid bonuses for hitting certain benchmarks tied to losing, telling ESPN's Keyshawn, JWill and Max that he made $750,000 during his three seasons for such benchmarks. Jackson later told CNN's Anderson Cooper that his situation had "similarities" to Flores' but that the Browns didn't pay him specifically to lose games.

The Browns were 3-36-1 under Jackson before he was fired in 2018.

Despite the lost seasons in Cleveland, the organization benefited from them with consecutive No. 1 overall picks used on Myles Garrett in 2017 and Baker Mayfield in 2018.

With the league's competitive balance possibly at stake, Goodell is seemingly now ready to look into the allegations after the NFL initially said the lawsuit was "without merit."