‘He wants to whoop their you know what’—Brian Flores took the high road ahead of his Miami Dolphins reunion but one former player isn’t buying it
The Miami Dolphins will face their former head coach in Week 4. Brian Flores took the high road this week, but one of his former players isn’t buying it.
Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores took the high road this week when asked about coaching against his former team. Flores, who has becoming a rousing success as the defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings, served as the head coach in Miami from 2019 to 2021.
“When I think about the Dolphins coming in, I’m actually kind of excited to see some people. They’ve got a great support staff, it’s right up there with the top guys,” said Flores this week.
The elephant in the room is, of course, the ongoing lawsuit between Flores and the NFL, which was filed shortly after his dismissal from the Dolphins. The suit covers a number of issues, including racial discrimination and wrongful termination. It could get (very) messy as things careen towards court. Beyond this major legal battle that looms, Flores has the right to habor hard feelings for how things ended in Miami, too. And at least one of Flores’ former players left no doubt this week about how he thinks Flores is approaching this opportunity behind closed doors.
Former player Jason McCourty leaves no doubt about former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores’ mindset entering Week 4
“I was in the building when Miami fired ‘Flo’. We were all in the training room, didn’t expect it. Talked to him after…that was the political answer. He wants to whoop their you know what. You’ve been fired, you want them to come to you, and you want to make sure they remember.”
— Former Miami Dolphins safety Jason McCourty on ESPN this week
Of course he does. Two things, though. First, this isn’t Flores’ own date with his old team. That came in 2022, when the Miami Dolphins hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football; a game Miami won 16-10 as cornerback Noah Igbinoghene intercepted a Steelers pass in the end zone in the waning moments of the game to seal the victory. Flores was a senior defensive assistant that season.
First time as an opposing play caller? Sure.
A Brian Flores revenge game wouldn’t be felt by too many in Miami
But the other part of this is that there are little to no power players left from the 2021 season. Just two players remain on the roster from that group — defensive tackle Zach Sieler and offensive tackle Austin Jackson. The team’s general manager at the time, Chris Grier, was fired last November. Flores’ successor at head coach, Mike McDaniel, was dismissed this January. Heck even the CEO of the franchise has changed hands. Former executive Tom Garfinkel transitioned out of the role this summer, with Daniel Sillman being appointed the new CEO in August.
Stephen Ross is still the owner of the team, yes. But it has been reported that both the GM and head coach report to Sillman, not to Ross.
Flores is welcome to get his lick back against Miami. He probably will, too. The Dolphins are young and must tackle this challenge on the road. But the vast majority of the folks he’d have an axe to grind with are also gone, other than Ross. And even Ross isn’t the hand that guides the team in the here and now, according to the reporting.
So in short, Brian Flores is saying all the right things ahead of the game. At least one of his former players in Miami would have you know there’s a little something extra to Week 4 for the former Dolphins coach, though. If Flores does help Minnesota to a win on Sunday, his revenge will be largely against the logo and the uniform. Because most everyone involved in the end of his tenure in Miami are either also gone or out of the picture.
They don’t call the NFL ‘Not For Long’ for nothing.
Miami Dolphins News