Ryan Fitzpatrick has plenty to say about Brian Flores and none of it is particularly warm or fuzzy.
The Amazon Prime Video analyst has previously criticized his former head coach for the way he handled Tua Tagovailoa, claiming Flores “broke” the young quarterback. Now, Fitzpatrick is speaking out again as Flores emerges as a candidate for head coaching openings with the Chicago Bears and New York Jets.
He’s also expected to draw interest from the Las Vegas Raiders, reports The Athletic’s Diana Russini.
Flores is one of the most sought-after names on the market — a top-tier defensive coordinator with prior head coaching experience. He has stated his intent to consider every interview request(s) that comes his way, including rumored interest in the New England Patriots’ vacancy. However, the Patriots appear more focused on other options, particularly Mike Vrabel, while their attempts to sidestep the Rooney Rule have already drawn criticism.
Publicly, there’s been little indication that Flores is a serious contender to be Drake Maye’s next head coach.
And privately, his reputation might not be as glowing as some teams hope. Fitzpatrick didn’t mince words when reflecting on Flores’ tenure with the Miami Dolphins during a recent episode of his Fitz & Whit podcast with fellow Prime Video analyst Andrew Whitworth.
Ryan Fitzpatrick had some tough words and a warning for team’s interested in his former HC Brian Flores.
🏈 Flores has been a “hot name” of late and had success in PIT and MIN as an assistant/coordinator, so people have forgotten how badly it ended in Miami.
🏈 Started off… pic.twitter.com/llgAk6wVMZ
— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) January 8, 2025
“Brian Flores has been a really hot name, and I think the further removed we get from his tenure in Miami, the more people kind of forget about how that ended — and the better his name becomes,” said Fitzpatrick. “He went to Pittsburgh and got to learn under Mike Tomlin and see how he led. And now he’s been in Minnesota with Kevin O’Connell.
“I think the interesting thing about Brian Flores when I think about him and being able to play under him for a few years is which version of Brian Flores are we getting? In Year 1 with Miami… [the Dolphins] got rid of every good player they had; that was jokingly called the ‘Tank for Tua year.’ Halfway through that year, we hadn’t won a game yet, and there was a shift in the way he was approaching his job. He was likable. He was relatable. He demanded a lot out of the players, but he was also able to get the version of his players — and I really appreciated him for that.”
But something changed.
“As his tenure went on in Miami, he kind of became unrecognizable,” Fitzpatrick continued. “A lot of the staff he brought over from New England — that was was where he cut his teeth in the NFL; was there for 15-plus years as an assistant. I think he’s going to have a really hard time. If you’re interviewing him as a head coach, I think in the interviews, he’ll be likable, he’ll be relatable.
“But, when people say, ‘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. Instead of what [Whitworth] were just talking about, having the humility to ask questions, to collaborate, I think by the end of his time there, he became a dictator. He ruined a lot of relationships that he built up through the NFL. And his ego grew so big that there wasn’t room for anyone else.”
According to Fitzpatrick, that’s why Flores was ultimately “released” at the end of his tenure in Miami.
But after his comments were aggregated, Fitzpatrick wanted to clarify a few things.
“Would love for anyone interested to listen to the whole conversation that Whit and I had,” he wrote. “I really like Brian Flores and consider him a friend….the end in Miami wasn’t pretty but I think he has grown and can look back on his tenure in Miami knowing he wasn’t perfect and has learned a lot.”
He also included another clip from the full conversation in his replies, which painted a more nuanced picture of Flores’ leadership.
— Ryan Fitzpatrick (@FitzMagic_14) January 8, 2025
“One of the most important things, too, is if you ask the training staff, if you ask the equipment guys, if you ask the people that serve the meals, the custodians, everybody in that Miami building loved him on that side of the ball,” said Fitzpatrick. “It just became such a power-driven ego trip in the coaching meeting rooms of ‘It is my way or the highway.’ There wasn’t a collaboration. I heard some horror stories after I left.
“And I think he’s going to have a hard time getting some guys on that staff to say, ‘Yes, I would love to coach for that guy again.’ That being said, I do think he’s learned a lot. And I do think that he’s shown — the job he’s done in Minnesota has been unbelievable. He’s such a relatable guy when he just is himself. And I think that’s the most important thing for him.
“And, hopefully, the thing he’s learned the most is you’re enough; you don’t have to be anyone else. You don’t have to imitate Bill Belichick — be you. Guys respect, appreciate you and want to learn from you. He’s going to be an interesting one in the cycle because of how successful he’s been…”
If another team takes a chance on Flores, they will be betting that he’s become that coach.