On Monday, a biting and critical assessment of former Dolphins coach Brian Flores emerged, courtesy of current Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
On Tuesday, Flores addressed the situation during a session with reporters in his job as defensive coordinator of the Vikings.
Said Tua, to Dan LeBatard: “To put it in simplest terms, if you woke up every morning and I told you you suck at what you did, that you don’t belong doing what you do, that you shouldn’t be there, that this guy should be here, that you haven’t earned this right and then you have somebody else come in and tell you, ‘Dude, you are the best fit for this. Like, you are accurate, you are the best whatever, you are this, you are that.’ Like, how would it make you feel listening to one or the other? You see what I’m saying? And then you hear it, you hear it. Regardless of what it is, the good or the bad. And you hear it more and more, you start to actually believe that. I don’t care who you are. You could be the president of the United States. If you have a terrible person that’s telling you things you don’t want to hear, or that you probably shouldn’t be hearing, you’re gonna start to believe that about yourself.”
Flores seems rattled at times, and almost shaken at others, when pressed about Tua’s critique. In a show of support, two players accompanied Flores to start the press conference — defensive tackle Harrison Phillips and safety Josh Metellus.
Through it all, Flores didn’t accuse Tua of mischaracterizing the facts.
“I think, you know, part of coaching is correcting, you know, I’m always gonna correct,” Flores said. “I’m always gonna have a high standard. And I think, you know, look, I’ve done a lot of reflecting and — on this situation . . . reflecting on the situation, communication, you know, I think there’s things that I could do better, for sure. And I’ve grown in that way. And I’ve tried to apply the things that I can do better and the things that I’ve learned over the last 2-3 years. But I would say over the long haul I’ve had a lot of great relationships over my 21-year career here in the league. Players, coaches, personnel, equipment, you know, people in the kitchen, really across the board. I’ve had a lot of great relationships. I’m going to continue to do that. But I’m also always looking to get better and evolve.”
Flores also was asked about Tua characterizing Flores as a “horrible person.”
“Look, I’m human,” Flores said. “So, you know, that hit me in a way that wasn’t — I wouldn’t say it was positive for me. But at the same time, I’ve got to use that and say, ‘Hey, how can I grow from that? How can I be better?’ And that’s really where I’m at from that standpoint. Do I feel like that’s me? No. But, you know, how can I grow from that situation and create a world where that’s not, you know, the case that anyone says that about Brian Flores.”
Flores said he’s open to speaking to Tua in an effort to resolve the situation, at the right time.
Flores added that it’s not the right time for now, because Flores is getting ready for the season. And Tua is, too. For now, Flores wants to turn the page and move on.
That’s all he really can do, until there’s a chance to try to mend fences with Tua. Flores seems to realize that something went sideways in that relationship. He deserves credit for avoiding cliché and coach speak, or resorting to a Belichickian response like, “I’m not gonna talk about anything that happened in the past.”