Kelly: Will Brian Flores lawsuit against NFL prevent him from becoming a head coach again? | Opinion

Let’s step into an imaginary world and pretend we can change history for one column.

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Let’s say Brian Flores’ personality didn’t make him difficult to work with, or that he wasn’t insubordinate to an owner who wanted his franchise to tank the 2019 season.

Let’s imagine Flores didn’t clash with Miami Dolphins owner Steve Ross, the front-office figures in the organization, coaches on his staff and some players on his team – most notably his starting quarterback – during his three-year tenure as the Dolphins’ head coach.

Would Flores still be leading the Dolphins in 2026 if the poop didn’t hit the fan at the end of the 2021 season, a year Miami started out 1-7 and then won seven of the season’s final eight games?

Would Flores, who was 24-25 in his three seasons at the helm, have had prolonged success if he hadn’t gotten whacked? Could he have led South Florida’s NFL franchise to its first playoff win since 2000?

That’s a question we will never have an answer to, and it’s a shame.

Mike McDaniel took over as head coach of the Dolphins the following season, continuing the rebuild Flores started in 2019 with now ousted general manager Chris Grier, and McDaniel led Miami to the playoffs in his first two seasons.

But after that, the seams came loose on McDaniel’s era, mainly because of poor decisions from management more so than coaching.

Was McDaniel’s early success — a 20-15 record in his first two seasons — a byproduct of the foundation Flores laid? Would Flores have succeeded with a new quarterback — he wasn’t a Tua Tagovailoa fan — and Tyreek Hill as Miami’s offensive focal point?

It’s hard to say, but a worthy discussion, one we need to seriously have because history could potentially be steered by Miami’s decision to fire Flores, which led to a class-action lawsuit against the NFL that is in the discovery phase.

And this is coming from a critic who openly admits I’m not a fan of Flores the person.

But Flores the coach? He was quite impressive, especially when he’s not responsible for coaching the offense.

The defensive unit Flores has put together in Minnesota since 2023 is one of the NFL’s scariest.

Flores is writing new code on how to build a formidable defense, one that disguises blitzes that apply pressure from all angles.

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The Vikings lead the NFL with 14 sacks heading into Sunday’s 4 p.m. home game against the Dolphins.

Minnesota has the No. 2 defense when it comes to points allowed (13.7) per game, and No. 12 defense when it comes to total yards allowed (319.7).

Last season, Flores’ unit ranked seventh in points allowed (19.6 points per game), third in total yards allowed (282.6 yards per game), and was tied for fourth in sacks produced (49).

That’s on brand for Flores, who was the Dolphins’ 10th head coach, and the first black and Hispanic head coach hired (not promoted in an interim role) in franchise history.

We witnessed the early stages of what the Vikings are running now, and have built during his tenure in Miami. So it’s reasonable to say the success he has led a healthy Vikings defense to isn’t at all surprising.

The biggest question that lingers is whether his success in Minnesota will provide him a second opportunity to become an NFL head coach?

Will the scars from his Dolphins days ever heal?

My answer to that question is no, not now, not while a potentially embarrassing class-action lawsuit hands over every NFL owner’s head.

Flores’ lawsuit is in the early stages of discovery, with teams being forced to submit electronic stored information — emails, text messages, instant messages and voicemail — to Flores’ legal team. That discovery could potentially expose the skeletons in the NFL’s closet, shedding light on the league’s allegedly discriminatory hiring practices.

The scariest part about the class-action lawsuit is that the league knows it can’t pay Flores and his co-defendants enough money to make it go away.

And for that, Flores deserves praise, a salute since he’s jeopardizing his own career, his own legacy to make a difference.

In this regard, he’s become the NFL’s version of Rosa Parks, a martyr who is potentially sacrificing himself for forward progress.

That’s admirable, and worthy of praise.

But it might mean we will never realize just how good of a coach he could have been if given some patience, and maybe a second chance.

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