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Brian Flores Sues NFL, Dolphins, Giants, Broncos

February 1st, 2022 at 5:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brian Flores filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL and three teams — the Dolphins, Giants and Broncos — on Tuesday, alleging racial discrimination, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports. The Dolphins’ decision to fire him after three seasons, along with the Giants and Broncos choosing other candidates in 2022 and 2019, respectively, are at the root of this suit, which he filed in New York.

The Dolphins stunned most by firing Flores after back-to-back winning seasons, but the 2019 season — one in which the team was connected to tanking for the 2020 No. 1 overall pick — comes up frequently in Flores’ suit. The since-fired HC alleges Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered him an additional $100K for each loss that season and that GM Chris Grier informed Flores that Ross was mad when the team’s wins down the stretch that season compromised its 2020 draft position. The Ross allegations are particularly explosive, and the Dolphins owner came up in another part of this lawsuit as well.

Miami likely fielded the NFL’s worst roster in 2019, having gutted it at the start of a rebuild, but Flores went 5-11 to push the team’s 2020 draft slot down to No. 5. The Dolphins were connected to Tua Tagovailoa for over a year, but they had changed course and wanted Joe Burrow after his record-setting Heisman campaign. Instead, the Bengals landed the LSU superstar and rebuffed the Dolphins’ attempt to trade up from No. 5.

Flores also alleged Ross wanted Flores to recruit a “prominent quarterback” at the end of the 2019 season — before free agency, which would have violated the NFL’s tampering rules. This, per Flores, included a meeting on a yacht before the legal tampering period. When Flores refused to go through with this meeting, he claims he was met with “treated with disdain and held out as someone who was noncompliant and difficult to work with.” The Dolphins cited collaboration issues as part of the reason they fired Flores last month.

The unnamed quarterback is believed to be Tom Brady, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link). The Dolphins were linked to Brady, whom Flores spent over a decade with in New England, but were not believed to be among the finalists for the future Hall of Fame passer by the time the tampering period began.

The Giants hired Brian Daboll over Flores, who called his interview process with the team “a sham” meant to comply with the NFL’s Rooney Rule, which mandates teams interview two minority candidates for HC positions. Flores, who spoke with the Giants before they hired GM Joe Schoen and later interviewed with Schoen and Co. in person, cites Bill Belichick texts about his pursuit of the job in his suit. In the messages, Belichick claimed that he had “Buffalo and NYG that you are their guy.” Flores’ former boss later texted his apologies for misunderstanding the situation. The suit claims Flores’ in-person meeting with the Giants came after they had already decided to hire Daboll, via the New York Post.

Flores also alleges members of the Broncos’ interview contingent, including former GM John Elway, arrived for his 2019 HC interview an hour late and hungover. The Broncos ended up hiring Vic Fangio to replace Vance Joseph that year, leading Flores to Miami. Calling Flores’ account “blatantly false,” the Broncos detailed their 2019 interview process with Flores (via the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala, on Twitter). The Dolphins and Giants have also rejected Flores’ claims.

Flores conducted a second interview with the Texans on Monday, and the Saints did go through with their interview Tuesday at the Senior Bowl, ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett tweets. This lawsuit certainly complicates Flores’ chances of landing a job this year. His suit against the NFL aims, among other matters, for the league to increase the number of Black coordinators, incentivize the hiring and retention of Black GMs, HCs and coordinators and provide transparency of the salaries attached to GMs, HCs and coordinators.

“God has gifted me with a special talent to coach the game of football, but the need for change is bigger than my personal goals,” Flores said. “In making the decision to file the class action complaint today, I understand that I may be risking coaching the game that I love and that has done so much for my family and me. My sincere hope is that by standing up against systemic racism in the NFL, others will join me to ensure that positive change is made for generations to come.”

The NFL called Flores’ claims meritless in a swiftly released statement. The league changed its Rooney Rule multiple times during Flores’ Miami tenure but currently features just one team employing a Black head coach. Two others — Washington and the Jets — employ minority HCs.

“The NFL and our clubs are deeply committed to ensuring equitable employment practices and continue to make progress in providing equitable opportunities throughout our organizations,” the NFL said in a statement, via Rapoport (on Twitter). “Diversity is core to everything we do, and there are few issues on which our clubs and our internal leadership team spend more time. We will defend against these claims, which are without merit.”

Tom Brady Confirms Retirement

February 1st, 2022 at 8:49am CST by Adam La Rose

After a few days of speculation regarding his status for next season, Tom Brady has indeed retired. He confirmed the decision in a series of tweets Tuesday morning. 

“I have always believed the sport of football is an ‘all-in’ proposition – if a 100% competitive commitment isn’t there, you won’t succeed… This is difficult for me to write, but… I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore. I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention.

“I’ve done a lot of reflecting the past week and have asked myself difficult questions. And I am so proud of what we have achieved. My teammates, coaches, fellow competitors, and fans deserve 100% of me, but right now, it’s best I leave the field of play to the next generation of dedicated and committed athletes” he writes. “To my Bucs teammates the past two years”, he continues,  “I love you guys, and have loved going to battle with you… I am always here for you guys… I couldn’t be happier with what we accomplished together”. 

Continuing his appreciation for the Buccaneers, he goes on: “To all the Bucs fans, thank you. I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived here, but your support and embrace have enriched my life and that of my family. To the city of Tampa, and the entire Tampa-St. Petersburg region, thank you. To the Glazer family, thank you for taking a chance on me… I know I was demanding at times, but you provided everything we needed to win… To [general manager] Jason Licht, thank you for your daily support and friendship. To my head coach Bruce Arians, thanks for putting up with me!”

His thanks extend to personal trainer Alex Guerrero (“I could never have made every Sunday without you; it’s that simple), as well as agents Don Yee and Steve Dubin (“what a journey it’s been, and I couldn’t do it without you”). It continues with his parents, family and friends (“I could never have imagined the time and energy you have given me for the past 30 years in football”) and, finally, his wife (“I am beyond words what you mean to me and our family”).

His messages conclude with the statement, “I feel like the luckiest person in the world” and a commitment to “giving to others and trying to enrich other people’s lives, just as so many have done for me”.

It was initially reported Saturday afternoon that Brady had decided to call it a career. Not long after, though, it came out that he had not personally informed anyone on the Bucs of his intentions one way or another, although the general belief was still that he would not be retuning in 2022. Brady informed Bucs GM Jason Licht of his final decision Monday night, via Greg Auman of The Athletic (on Twitter). Now, having confirmed it himself, we know that the man who has entirely re-written the NFL record books and won more Super Bowls himself than any franchise has hung up his cleats for good.

Texans Conducting Second Interview With Brian Flores

January 31st, 2022 at 1:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

Another finalist has emerged in the Texans’ head coaching search. Brian Flores is conducting a second interview today, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). 

[Related: Texans Giving Josh McCown Second Interview]

Like many second interviews this year, this one will be in person, as opposed to being conducted virtually. Overall, though, Pelissero notes that “the sides have spoken multiple times”. The 40-year-old has ties to general manager Nick Caserio dating back to their time together in New England. That Patriots-Caserio connection has, of course, led to both Flores and Pats linebackers coach Jerod Mayo being listed as favorites once they were announced as candidates.

Instead, the two others that have already received second interviews are former quarterback Josh McCown and Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. Houston is currently the only team to have had interest in McCown so far, while Gannon has also met with the Broncos and Vikings.

The biggest domino in Houston, regardless of the new head coach, is quarterback Deshaun Watson. Many feel that Flores’ hiring would be the only way the maligned signal caller could remain with the Texans, given their desire to work together. While Houston still intends to trade Watson, Flores’ presence as a finalist for the HC job certainly raises the possibility of things taking another turn.

Raiders Hire Dave Ziegler As GM, Josh McDaniels Expected As HC

January 30th, 2022 at 1:45pm CST by Rory Parks

The Raiders have announced the hiring of Patriots director of player personnel Dave Ziegler as their new general manager. That means that the official hiring of Patriots OC Josh McDaniels as head coach is right around the corner, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

Though McDaniels was a late entrant in this year’s coaching cycle — his only interview, which just took place yesterday, was with the Raiders — he became the frontrunner for the position as soon as he was connected to it. Indeed, he reportedly told the team that he would not accept its interview request unless he was going to be offered the job.

Now 45, McDaniels is best known for his lengthy and tremendously successful run as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, first from 2005-2008 and then again from 2012-2021. Of course, he had the privilege of working with QB Tom Brady for almost all of that time, but the work that he did with rookie passer Mac Jones this year also earned him plenty of positive attention. His ill-fated tenure as Broncos head coach from 2009-10 is well in the rearview mirror at this point, and his leaving the Colts at the altar in the 2018 hiring cycle did not seem to deter other clubs from wanting to bring his talents as an offensive guru aboard (though it is worth keeping that jilting in mind until he puts pen to paper).

Assuming he does finalize a deal with Las Vegas, he will inherit QB Derek Carr, who has one year remaining on his current contract. We recently heard that the Raiders’ HC hire would impact Carr’s future in the silver-and-black, but as Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network tweets, there is “mutual admiration” between Carr and McDaniels, so it could be that an extension for the soon-to-be 31-year-old passer is in the offing.

Obviously, Ziegler will have some say in that. In his previous post with the Patriots, he revamped the team’s scouting department and free agency strategy, as Cameron Wolfe of NFL.com (on Twitter) notes, and he has received a considerable amount of credit for New England’s quick rise back to competitiveness after a disappointing 2020, the first year of the post-Brady era. His philosophy differed from predecessor Nick Caserio and will likely stray from recently-deposed Raiders GM Mike Mayock‘s approach.

Ziegler and McDaniels first worked together with the Broncos in 2010, and the former joined the Pats’ scouting department in 2013 and gradually rose up the ranks (2021 was his first as director of player personnel, a promotion he received after Caserio left Foxborough to become the Texans’ GM). Ziegler has been viewed as McDaniels’ GM-of-choice for awhile now, and it appears that the partnership will soon make its way west.

Vikings To Interview Jim Harbaugh For HC Job

January 29th, 2022 at 3:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jim Harbaugh has only been linked to the Raiders in this year’s HC hiring cycle, but a team in Big Ten country is also pursuing the Michigan leader. The Vikings are set to interview Harbaugh, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk tweets.

This certainly injects additional intrigue into this year’s carousel and adds the biggest name to the Vikings’ search. Before Harbaugh surfaced in this search, the Vikes had already interviewed nine coaches. New GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, however, was with the 49ers during part of Harbaugh’s tenure.

Adofo-Mensah began his NFL career with the 49ers in 2013, Harbaugh’s third year with the team. While Minnesota’s current GM stayed in San Francisco long after Harbaugh’s exit, this connection is certainly interesting given Harbaugh’s stature. The Michigan HC surfaced on the Raiders’ radar earlier this month, but not much has emerged on that front in recent days. The Raiders may be moving toward giving Josh McDaniels another chance at being a head coach.

Harbaugh, 58, spent four seasons with the 49ers before leaving for Ann Arbor after the 2014 season. He has been connected to various teams in the past, but this year represents the closest link to the former NFC champion coach returning to the NFL. Harbaugh is coming off his best season with the Wolverines, who qualified for the College Football Playoff for the first time. Given his NFL past and persistent connections to the league, it would not shock if the seven-year Big Ten leader would leave his alma mater and try his hand with another NFL team.

The Vikings finished their Patrick Graham HC interview Saturday. Beyond Harbaugh, no more known interviews are scheduled. The team has satisfied its Rooney Rule requirements, meaning a hire could come at any time. Here is how Minnesota’s search looks:

Buccaneers QB Tom Brady To Retire

January 29th, 2022 at 1:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

The increased rumblings of a Tom Brady retirement following his 22nd season did not let up, and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports this is the direction the all-time great is expected to take. Not long after that report surfaced, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington confirm the Buccaneers quarterback is set to walk away (Twitter link).

Brady has long said he wanted to play through at least his age-45 season, with even that lofty timetable being potentially extended after his seventh Super Bowl victory last year. Those plans appear to have changed. Last weekend’s Rams game indeed looks like it will be Brady’s finale, though some uncertainty exists on the Bucs’ part.

While Schefter and Darlington add the Bucs have braced for Brady’s exit for weeks, the team did not receive advance notice of Saturday’s news. Bruce Arians indicated earlier this afternoon (via the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud, Twitter links) he had not yet been informed about the retirement. Brady’s agent also tried to hit pause on this situation (via SI.com’s Albert Breer, on Twitter). Brady does appear to be ending his career, but Greg Auman of The Athletic notes (on Twitter) TB12Sports deleted a tweet acknowledging its top client’s accomplishments. Bucs players are nevertheless voicing their appreciation for Brady on social media.

The 44-year-old quarterback has pushed the boundaries of the position to an unprecedented place, remaining a Pro Bowl-caliber player into his mid-40s. Brady finished as this season’s second-team All-Pro passer and had the Bucs as the NFC’s No. 2 seed. Tampa Bay’s reload operation did not result in the team defending its Super Bowl title, with Chris Godwin‘s injury and Antonio Brown‘s explosive exit weakening this year’s team late in the season. But Brady did not show much in the way of decline following his bounce-back 2020 slate. But one of the greatest players to in the sport’s history is unlikely to go through a walk-off tour next season despite having signed a through-2022 extension last year.

Given the cap gymnastics the Bucs performed to bring back their entire Super Bowl-winning core, it was going to be difficult for the team to pull off a similar act for the 2022 season. The likes of Godwin, Rob Gronkowski, Leonard Fournette, Jason Pierre-Paul, Carlton Davis, Ryan Jensen and Alex Cappa are among the Bucs set for free agency in March. With on the cusp of ending his storied career, it can certainly be expected a second Gronkowski retirement will soon follow. Gronk said this week that if he was forced into a decision now, he would indeed leave the game for a second time.

Having been a pro in every 21st-century season and having started for the past 21 years, Brady will finish as the NFL’s leader in every major statistical category. The former Patriots mainstay’s postseason resume laps his peers’, and after his NFL-most 43 touchdown passes this season, Brady will finish his career with 624 — 53 more than the next-closest passer’s total. He and Drew Brees passed this record back and forth last season, and while the recently retired Saints legend is a bit closer to Brady in passing yards, the ageless Bucs QB will exit the game with that record (84,520) as well. Brady’s retirement comes a year after Brees’ and days after Ben Roethlisberger‘s.

Brady’s place as the game’s greatest player can be debated in the years to come, but the former sixth-round pick is without question the best draft investment in NFL history. The 199th overall pick in 2000, Brady launched his unexpected rise to NFL stardom by keeping the Patriots’ QB1 job after a September 2001 Drew Bledsoe injury. The Michigan product proceeded to start 316 games, missing time only because of a 2008 ACL tear and 2016’s four-game Deflategate suspension. In between, Brady piled up six Super Bowl-winning seasons with the Pats.

While the Patriots machine centered around Bill Belichick‘s defenses in the early 2000s, with Brady making just one Pro Bowl in his first four seasons as a starter, he collected three rings in that span. After the Patriots acquired Randy Moss in 2007, Brady made a seismic leap by throwing 50 touchdown passes and winning the first of his three MVP honors. Although the Pats’ hopes at a 19-0 season did not come to fruition, with that upset loss to the Giants coming months before Brady’s September 2008 knee injury, the New England centerpiece remained on his position’s top tier for another decade and change.

Including the famed 25-point comeback win in Super Bowl LI, Brady finished his career with a record five Super Bowl MVP awards and won four championships past age 37. Brady’s decision to sign with the Bucs for two years and $50MM led to the end of that franchise’s 12-year playoff drought and Tampa Bay’s second Super Bowl win.

This retirement call may close the team’s title window, with the Bucs fully committing to Brady and not acquiring an heir apparent. It will be interesting to see if Arians retires for a second time, though the 69-year-old Tampa HC said he would return in 2022. The Bucs will need to dive back into the quarterback market soon, be it another veteran or through the draft, after their successful 2020 plan is abruptly coming to a halt.

Giants To Hire Brian Daboll As Head Coach

January 28th, 2022 at 5:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

The league’s third head coaching hire has reportedly been made. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets that the Giants are hiring Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll as their new HC. 

Daboll was thought to be the favorite for the job when he became the first candidate to receive a second interview in New York. That, along with the obvious connection to newly-hired GM Joe Shoen, had many speculating that the position was his to lose.

Of course, the Giants weren’t the only suitor for the 46-year-old’s services. He was named as one of three finalists for the Dolphins’ HC vacancy, and recently considered the favorite in Miami. Rapoport’s colleague, Tom Pelissero, tweets that the Saints also wanted to interview him.

Instead, he will be replacing Joe Judge in an attempt, along with Schoen, to reset the Giants on an organizational level. The two hires prove that the franchise’s stated goal of looking from outside New York to find its next HC and GM has been fulfilled.

Daboll will be tasked first and foremost with improving the Giants’ lackluster offense in what could very well be a make-or-break year for quarterback Daniel Jones. His job developing Josh Allen would certainly represent cause for optimism on that front.

Meanwhile, this news drops the number of remaining candidates set for second interviews with the Dolphins down to two: Mike McDaniel and Kellen Moore, the OCs for the 49ers and Cowboys, respectively.

Here’s a final look at the Giants’ coaching search:

Texans Giving Josh McCown Second HC Interview

January 28th, 2022 at 1:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

On the Texans’ HC radar for a second straight offseason, Josh McCown is now the team’s first known finalist for the position. The longtime quarterback is in Houston going through a second interview Friday, according to Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter).

While Brian Flores emerged as the early favorite for this job, McCown has gained considerable momentum. The former Texans reserve quarterback is now all in on moving into the coaching ranks. He has yet to hold a full-time NFL coaching role. Flores has since been connected to other jobs. After meeting with Nick Caserio and Co., Flores went through a Giants interview Thursday and has received a request from the Saints.

The Texans met with McCown last week about their HC job, and the Jaguars soon spoke with the near-20-year veteran QB as well. This would be an outside-the-box hire, given McCown’s experience, but it remains firmly in play for the rebuilding franchise. McCown, 42, has been regarded as a future coach for a bit now. The Texans were interested in him for their HC job last year, but McCown was not quite ready to enter the ranks. He is now, injecting additional intrigue into this situation.

The journeyman passer finished his playing career in Houston, when he arrived after residing as a remote Eagles practice squad QB during the 2020 season. McCown did not see any action during Deshaun Watson‘s final year as the Texans’ starter but made an impression on the team. Here is how Houston’s HC search looks at this juncture:

Dan Quinn Remaining With The Cowboys

January 27th, 2022 at 11:06am CST by Adam La Rose

The most sought-after candidate in this year’s head coach hiring cycle has taken himself out of consideration for numerous jobs. Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has informed HC-needy teams that he will be staying put in Dallas, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link). 

Six of the nine teams with a vacancy requested an interview with Quinn, so it was widely believed his stay with the Cowboys would only last one season. Instead, he will carry on with the Cowboys to take another shot at a Super Bowl with one of the league’s most complete rosters.

Quinn conducted one interview with each of the Dolphins, Vikings and Giants. He was also a finalist for the Bears‘ and Broncos‘ positions, both of which have been filled today. The widespread interest he generated was in large part due to the success of the Cowboys’ defense in 2021. The unit ranked in the top ten in the league in points allowed (21 per game) and led the NFL with 26 interceptions.

The 51-year-old’s work with the ‘Legion of Boom’ in Seattle earned him the HC position in Atlanta. His return to life as an assistant in Dallas has certainly paid off, though, considering the opportunities he’s gotten in recent weeks. That interest is unlikely to die down, as Pelissero adds Quinn “should be a hot name again next year”. For now, though, teams will have to look elsewhere for their 2022 HC hires.

Bears Hire Matt Eberflus As Head Coach

January 27th, 2022 at 10:04am CST by Adam La Rose

Hours after the first head coaching hire was made, the second has been soon to follow. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports (via Twitter) that the Bears are hiring Matt Eberflus as their new head coach. 

[Related: Bears To Hire Ryan Poles As GM]

Eberflus was one of three finalists for the job, along with Jim Caldwell and Dan Quinn. He conducted a second interview with the team on Wednesday, and the front office – which now includes, of course, former Chiefs exec Ryan Poles – clearly liked what they heard.

The 51-year-old has long been regarded as one of the league’s top defensive minds, something that has been confirmed with Chicago giving him his first HC opportunity. He was a candidate for the Jets’ and Chargers’ vacancies last year, but came up short. He also interviewed twice with the Jaguars for their current opening. Schefter tweets that Eberflus going to Chicago furthers Byron Leftwich‘s status as the “clubhouse leader” for Jacksonville’s next HC.

Just like the other hire of the morning, this represents a reversal of positional background for the affected team. After the Broncos replaced Vic Fangio with an up-and-coming offensive mind in Nathaniel Hackett, Eberflus will bring a celebrated defensive background to the Bears after they dismissed Matt Nagy.

Here’s the final rundown of the Bears’ HC search:

With the updates coming fast and furious now, be sure to check in on our Head Coach Tracker regularly.

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