Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores addressed the recent criticism from Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa regarding their time together with the Dolphins. In an interview aired on Monday, Tagovailoa expressed dissatisfaction with Flores’ coaching style, stating that it negatively impacted his self-esteem.
Flores responded to these remarks on Tuesday, acknowledging that the criticism was hurtful but expressing his well wishes for Tagovailoa’s future. Despite the criticism, Flores noted that he takes pride in Tagovailoa’s success and has reflected on his tenure as the Dolphins’ head coach from 2019 to 2021. Flores believes this reflection has helped him grow as a leader and reaffirmed his commitment to building strong relationships with players and colleagues.
In his interview on “The Dan LeBatard Show,” Tagovailoa described his experience under Flores as damaging to his self-esteem. “I don’t care who you are. You can be the president of the United States. You have a terrible person that’s telling you things that you don’t want to hear or that you probably shouldn’t ever hear, you’re going to start to believe that about yourself, and so that’s sort of like what ended up happening,” Tagovailoa said.
Tagovailoa, who recently signed a four-year contract extension with the Dolphins, said he has spent the past two years working to overcome the negative thoughts instilled during his time with Flores.
In a show of support for Flores, defensive tackle Harrison Phillips and safety Josh Metellus briefly joined him at the lectern before his regularly scheduled news conference. Metellus commented, “Just letting him know we’re behind him.”
