What went on behind the scenes between Tua Tagovailoa and Brian Flores in Miami?
On Tuesday — a day after the Dolphins fired their former head coach in Flores — a new report said he had an F-bomb-filled “meltdown” with the quarterback at one point this season.
According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, during halftime of a Week 16 loss to the Titans that crushed the Dolphins’ playoff hopes, Tagovailoa claimed that Flores “doesn’t know how to talk to people.”
Flores, meanwhile, reportedly said he needed “better f—king play” from the quarterback.
The exchange was apparently one of a few spats between the coach and quarterback, as noted in the article — which claimed Flores was fired for “communication and collaboration.”
The Dolphins surprised many on Monday when they announced the firing of Flores after posting back-to-back winning seasons. Flores tallied a 24-25 record in three seasons with the Dolphins, going 5-11 in 2019 and 10-6 in 2020.
Brian Flores went 24-25 as head coach of the Dolphins.APMiami finished 9-8 this past season after bouncing back from a dismal 1-7 start. They missed the playoffs after a loss to the Titans in Week 17. The Dolphins beat the Patriots in Sunday’s season finale to finish the season above .500.
Team owner Stephen Ross said Monday that he did not see Flores as a “healthy fit” in Miami. That same day, ESPN reported the Dolphins made the coaching move because Flores relationships with general manager Chris Grier and Tagovailoa had “deteriorated to a pretty bad place.”
Tua Tagovailoa said Flores “doesn’t know how to talk to people.”Getty ImagesNFL Network reported Tuesday that Flores is scheduled to interview with the Bears, which fired their former head coach in Matt Nagy this week after posting a 6-11 record this season.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, have reportedly put in requests to interview Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph for their vacant head coach job.
There is mounting optimism that Flores will land another head coach job and soon after the mixed reviews following his firing. Miami players even took to social media to express confusion and support for Flores.
NFL teams went on a firing spree after the season finale Sunday. There are currently seven head coaching jobs open, along with three general manager positions available.
Time will tell to see where Flores lands.
