Ryan Fitzpatrick: Brian Flores Became ‘Unrecognizable,’ Turned Into A ‘Dictator’ During Time With Dolphins

Brian Flores has emerged as a candidate for a few of the NFL’s current coaching vacancies. But Ryan Fitzpatrick has some concerns.

The now-retired quarterback played for Brian Flores with the Miami Dolphins in 2019-20. Fitzpatrick has been critical in the past of his former head coach, even saying he “broke” Tua Tagovailoa by treating the young QB poorly and damaging his confidence.

Now, on a recent episode of the Fitz & Whit podcast, Fitzpatrick is revealing more details about Flores’ three-year tenure in Miami.

ZACH DEAN: Tua Tagovailoa Bashes Former Coach Brian Flores, Who Truly Sounds Like An Awful Human

Brian Flores reportedly had a strained relationship with current Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

(Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports)

Despite winning records in his last two years, Flores was fired following the 2021 season after failing to make the playoffs. Reports also surfaced that the coach butted heads with the Dolphins‘ front office. Flores later filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL, alleging racial discrimination in the league’s treatment of minority coaches and executives.

But Fitz said that during year one in Miami, Flores was both “likable” and “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,” Fitzpatrick said.

Brian Flores coached Ryan Fitzpatrick for two seasons in Miami.

(Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

But then something switched in the head coach, and he became “unrecognizable.” Fitzpatrick compared this new Flores to a “dictator” and cautioned that it might be difficult for him to get a job, given the fact that he burned so many bridges.

“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,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think he alienated himself from the entire staff. 

“Instead of what you 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.”

Ryan Fitzpatrick Believes Brian Flores Has Learned From His Mistakes

Not wanting his comments to be taken out of context, Fitzpatrick later clarified his feelings about Flores on X.

“I really like Brian Flores and consider him a friend,” he wrote. “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.”

Brian Flores is currently the defensive coordinator for the Minneosta Vikings.

(Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

Flores’ name has been thrown around for the head coach openings with the Chicago Bears and the New York Jets. He’s also expected to draw interest from the Las Vegas Raiders, according to The Athletic‘s Diana Russini.

If Flores is hired for one of these coaching positions, we’ll find out whether he truly has learned from his mistakes in Miami. But teams have to be asking the same question Fitz asked on his podcast: “Which version of Brian Flores are we getting?”