Goodell: NFL to investigate Flores’ claims against Ross, review diversity policies

In a memo sent to NFL teams Saturday, commissioner Roger Goodell said the league will look into former Dolphins coach Brian Flores’ claims that owner Stephen Ross incentivized losing during the 2019 season.

Goodell wrote that the league “take[s] seriously any issue relating to the integrity of NFL game. Those matters will be reviewed thoroughly and independently. We expect that those independent experts will receive full cooperation from everyone associated with the league or any member club as this work proceeds.”

Flores filed a lawsuit Tuesday, in part alleging Ross offered $100,000 per loss in 2019 as Ross hoped the Dolphins would lose enough games to land the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. On Wednesday, one of Flores’ lawyers said there’s corroborating evidence for Flores’ claims, beyond what is detailed in the lawsuit.

Ross denied the allegations in a statement Wednesday night, calling them “false, malicious and defamatory.”

Goodell’s memo comes days after the league released a swift response to Flores’ lawsuit, saying it was “without merit.”

Flores has also alleged racial discrimination in the league’s hiring and firing process, claiming the New York Giants and Denver Broncos conducted sham interviews with him during the 2022 and 2019 cycles, respectively. The Giants and Broncos have both released statements denying Flores’ allegations.

Goodell said the NFL would also retain outside experts to “reevaluate and examine all policies, guidelines and initiatives relating to diversity, equity and inclusion, including as they relate to gender.” Calling the NFL’s results “unacceptable,” Goodell added the league will also call on current and former players and coaches, and advocates to assist in its review.

In a statement released Saturday, Doug Wigdor and John Elefterakis, attorneys for Flores, said Goodell’s memo is “on the surface, a positive first step, but we suspect that this is more of a public relations ploy than real commitment to change.”

“Absent such a discussion [on potential changes] followed by unbiased and concrete change, we believe that a court or governmental agency must order a federal monitor to oversee the NFL as the NFL cannot continue to police itself,” the statement said.

Flores’ lawsuit has renewed scrutiny of the league’s efforts to hire, develop and retain minorities in positions of power. Five of the NFL’s nine head-coaching vacancies this cycle have been filled and all by white men. There is currently only one Black head coach in the NFL — the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike Tomlin — and three total minority coaches: Tomlin, the New York Jets’ Robert Saleh and Washington Commanders’ Ron Rivera.

This story may be updated.

This story was originally published February 5, 2022 at 11:10 AM.

Daniel Oyefusi

Miami Herald

Daniel Oyefusi covers the Dolphins for the Miami Herald. A native of Towson, Maryland, he graduated from the University of Maryland: College Park. Previously, he covered the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun.