Brian Flores: Minnesota Vikings coach wants to ‘grow’ after Tua Tagovailoa criticism

CNN
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Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores says he wants to “grow” after his former player called him a “terrible person.” Now Tagovailoa.

Miami Dolphins Midfielder Flores made the comments during an interview that aired Monday in which he explained the difference between Flores’ coaching and his current coach, Mike McDaniel.

“Look, I’m a human being. So it affected me in a way that I can’t say was positive for me,” Flores told reporters Tuesday.

“At the same time, I have to take that and say, ‘Hey, how can I grow from this? How can I get better?’

“Do I feel like this is me? No. But how can I grow from this situation and create a world where what anyone says about Brian Flores doesn’t apply?”

Flores is now entering his second season as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator, and was the Dolphins’ head coach when Tagovailoa was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The duo spent two years together in Miami, where Tagovailoa played in 23 games, throwing for 4,467 yards, 27 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. During that time, the quarterback struggled with injuries and inconsistency, and the Dolphins missed the playoffs in both seasons.

“[If] “You have a horrible person telling you things you don’t want to hear or maybe shouldn’t hear, and you start believing that about yourself,” Tagovailoa said on “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stogutz,” referring to Flores.

Flores was fired in January 2022 after three seasons with the team and was replaced by McDaniel. Tagovailoa has flourished since then.

Last season, Tagovailoa started all 17 games for the first time in his career, leading the NFL with 4,264 passing yards, completing 69.3 percent of his passes with 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Miami has qualified for the playoffs the past two seasons under McDaniel.

Tagovailoa recently agreed to a four-year contract extension, reportedly worth $212.4 million.

“I am really happy with the success Tua has achieved. [Tagovailoa] “He had everything I really wished him, all the best,” Flores added.

“Relationships with players are very important to me. I think that’s the foundation of coaching. I got into coaching because I was influenced as a young man by my high school coaches and my college coaches.

“I got into coaching because I want to have the same kind of impact, a positive impact, on young people, and help them become […] “They always try to do their best. That’s always my goal in training.”