Former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick says he likes Brian Flores and considers him a friend. He also says Flores “became a dictator” toward the end of his time with the Miami Dolphins.
Fitzpatrick, who played under Flores for two seasons in Miami, gave his take on the former New England Patriots coach during an episode of his podcast, “Fitz & Whit” last month.
Fitzpatrick, who now works alongside co-host Andrew Whitworth as an analyst for Amazon Prime Video’s NFL broadcasts, praised Flores as a person. However, Fitzpatrick was critical of the coach Flores became toward the end of his time with the Dolphins.
“He was likable. He was relatable. He demanded a lot out of the players, but he was also able to get the best version of his players,” Fitzpatrick said. “I really appreciated him for that. But as his tenure went on in Miami, he kind of became unrecognizable.”
“… Instead of having the humility to ask questions, to collaborate. I think, by the end of his time there, he became a dictator,” Fitzpatrick added.
Fitzpatrick stressed that Flores was well-liked in the building and treated team staff well. But as time went on, the former Patriots assistant shifted to a “my way or the highway” mentality in team meetings.
Flores rose through the coaching ranks with the Patriots, starting as an assistant in 2008 and eventually becoming the de-facto defensive coordinator by 2018.
After going 24-25 across three seasons, Flores’ time in Miam came to an ugly end. The team surprised many by firing him after three seasons. Afterwards, Flores filed a discrimination lawsuit against the NFL, laying a series of allegations toward the league and the Dolphins.
Claims made in the lawsuit started a domino effect the ended with Miami being hit with major penalties for tampering.
As for Flores, he’s since bounced around the league and restored his reputation as a coach. After a brief stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Flores landed with the Minnesota Vikings, where he now serves as the defensive coordinator.
Heading into this coaching cycle, teams are looking at giving Flores another shot. Fitzpatrick isn’t telling teams to necessarily stay away. He wants them to figure out which version of the coach they’re going to get.
“I think in the interviews he’ll be likable, he’ll be relatable. But when people say, OK, give me somebody from Miami that coached under you as a reference so we can talk to them. I think he burned a lot of bridges there. I think he alienated himself from the entire staff.”
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