Vikings DC Flores says he was hurt by Tagovailoa's sharp criticism but wishes Dolphins QB well

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Two Minnesota Vikings starters flanked defensive coordinator Brian Flores as he prepared to address blunt criticism of his character and coaching style delivered publicly by Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, a sign of solidarity Flores relished from his current team while acknowledging he was hurt by the biting appraisal from his most prominent former player.

After Tagovailoa’s commentary about their time together with the Dolphins was aired the day before, Flores took a high-road approach to his regularly scheduled news conference Tuesday at Vikings headquarters.

“I’m genuinely happy for the success that Tua’s had, and I really wish him nothing but the best,” Flores said. ”I think player relationships are very important to me. I think that’s kind of the foundation of coaching. I got into coaching because I was impacted as a young guy by my high school coaches, my college coaches, even going all the way back to Pop Warner. I got into coaching because I want to make that same type of positive impact.”

Tagovailoa said on “ The Dan LeBatard Show ” that he has thrived with Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel because of the difference in how he’s been treated and how the experience with Flores eroded his self-esteem. Tagovailoa, who signed a four-year contract extension last month to solidify himself as the face of the Dolphins for the foreseeable future, said in the interview he has needed the past two years to train the negative thoughts out of his head.

“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.

Asked specifically about that rebuke, Flores said, “I’m human, so that hit me in a way that I wouldn’t say was positive for me. At the same time, I’ve got to use that and say, ‘Hey, how can I grow from that? How can I be better?’ That’s really where I’m at from that standpoint. Do I feel like that’s me? No. How can I grow from that situation and create a world where that’s not the case that anyone says that about Brian Flores?”

Flores rose through the New England Patriots organization under the hard-driving, no-nonsense head coach Bill Belichick, departing for Miami after their most recent Super Bowl championship in the 2018 season. Flores led the Dolphins for three years, going 24-25. Shortly after he was fired, Flores, who is Black, filed a discrimination lawsuit against the NFL alleging racist hiring practices. About 2½ years later, the case is still pending in the legal system.

After one season as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Flores was hired to run Minnesota’s defense and made a marked impact in his first year. Tagovailoa, the fifth overall pick in the 2020 draft, passed for career bests of 4,624 yards and 29 touchdowns for the Dolphins last season.

The Dolphins and Vikings, in opposite conferences, aren’t scheduled to play each other again until 2026 in Minnesota, but Flores said he has considered contacting Tagovailoa and trying to clear the air between them.

“Maybe if that time arises or is available, I’m certainly open to that. But I’ve got a lot of other things going on too as he does,” Flores said. “I’m just really focused on the guys here and the work that we’re putting in here.”

Two of those guys, safety Josh Metellus and defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, stood on either side of him Tuesday at the lectern at the beginning of his session.

“Just letting him know we’re behind him,” Metellus said.

Said Phillips as he walked away: “You’re a real one, Flo!”

Flores was later asked if he viewed the time with the Dolphins through the same lens as Tagovailoa.

“I’ve done a lot of reflecting on the situation and the communication. I think there’s things that I can 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 two or three years,” Flores said. “I would say over the long haul I’ve had a lot of great relationships over my 21-year career in the league — players, coaches, personnel, equipment, people in the kitchen. Really, across the board, I’ve had a lot of great relationships, and I’m going to continue to do that. But I’m also always looking to get better and evolve.”