Brian Flores Responds to Tua Tagovailoa’s ‘Terrible Person’ Accusation

A day after Tua Tagovailoa appeared on “The Dan Le Batard Show” to level some scathing accusations, former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores used his weekly press conference as Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator to address them.

He didn’t exactly deny Tagovailoa’s criticism.

Still, Flores took the high road when asked about Tagovailoa calling him a “terrible person” while he coached the Dolphins QB in his first two seasons.

“Specific to the comments made by Tua, I just want to say, ‘Look, I’m genuinely happy for the success that Tua’s had,” Flores told reporters Tuesday. “And I really wish him nothing but the best.”

Flores said he got into coaching because he wanted to make the same “positive impact” he experienced while playing football and to help players become “the best versions of themselves.”

“That’s really my goal always in coaching,” he said. “I wish nothing but the best for Tua.”

According to Tagovailoa, the situation couldn’t have been worse for a No. 5 overall pick feeling the pressure of needing to find his footing in the NFL. He discussed Flores’ tenure in Miami while contrasting it with his productive relationship with current Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel.

Tagovailoa said it’s taken two years to overcome the negativity of Flores, who, according to Tagovailoa, would tell him, “You suck at what you do, that you don’t belong doing what you do, that you shouldn’t be here, that this guy should be here, that you haven’t earned this right.”

“Regardless of what it is, the good or the bad, and you hear it more and more, you start to actually believe that,” Tagovailoa said. “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 that you don’t want to hear or that you probably shouldn’t be hearing, you’re going to start to believe that about yourself.”

Tagovailoa’s questioning of Flores’ character was especially stinging.

“Look, I’m human. That hit me in a way that I wouldn’t say was positive for me,” Flores said. “But at the same time, I’ve got to use that and say, ‘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 how can I grow from that situation and create a world where that’s not the case that anyone says that about Brian Flores.”

Clearly, the two seasons that Flores and Tagovailoa spent together were learning experiences. At 38, Flores took over the Miami job in 2019 after spending 15 seasons with the New England Patriots. A 5-11 debut season led to the arrival of Tagovailoa as the franchise’s future QB in 2020 after being drafted fifth overall.

Head coach and quarterback pairings don’t always work out. Owners and general managers envision the formation of the next Brady/Belichick partnership, but that’s just not reality.

The time Flores and Tagovailoa spent together was undoubtedly troubling, but they appear ready to put those dark days behind them and — in Flores’ case —  to learn from them. And they already seem better for it.