Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa says he didn’t see Brian Flores’ comments, preaches importance of QB-HC relationship

It’s safe to say that Tua Tagovailoa and Brian Flores didn’t have the best relationship when the quarterback played for the former Miami Dolphins head coach. During a recent appearance on “The Dan LeBetard Show with Stugotz,” Tagovailoa gave a scathing review of what life was like playing for Flores — who he described as a “terrible person” — and how much better it is now under current head coach Mike McDaniel. 

Flores, now the Minnesota Vikings’s defense coordinator, was asked for his reaction to Tagovailoa’s comments and noted that he’s “genuinely happy for his success” while acknowledging that he also could’ve handled things differently. 

“I think part of coaching is correcting,” Flores said during a previously scheduled press conference, via ESPN. “I’m always going to correct. I’m always going to have a high standard. And I think, look, I’ve done a lot of reflecting on the situation, reflecting on the situation and communication. I think there’s things that I could do better for sure, and I’ve grown in that way, and I’ve tried to apply the things that I could do better and the things that I’ve learned over the last two, three years.

“But I would say over the long haul, I’ve had a lot of great relationships over my 21-year career here in the league. Players, coaches, personnel, equipment, people in the kitchen. I mean really across the board, I’ve had a lot of great relationships. I’m going to continue to do that, but I’m also always looking to get better and involved.”

Flores was Miami’s head coach from 2019 until the end of the 2021 season. The Dolphins drafted Tagovailoa with the No. 5 overall pick in 2020 and the franchise went 13-8 in the regular season in his 23 starts over that stretch. 

“Look, I’m human,” Flores said specifically when asked about Tagovailoa’s “terrible person” depiction. “So that hit me in a way that wasn’t … positive for me. But at the same time, I’ve got to use that and say, ‘Hey, 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?”

Going forward, Flores said he’s focusing on making a “positive impact” on his players just as the coaches did to him when he played throughout his career stretching from Pop Warner to Boston College. 

Shortly after Flores’ response, Tagovailoa said he hasn’t seen the coach’s comments or heard from him.

“There’s nothing more I’d like to add to that,” Tagovailoa said during a recent press conference.

The 26-year-old did note that he feels that more than any position, it’s crucial for a quarterback to have his coach’s support.

“It’s a quarterback-driven league. I 100 percent think that,” Tagovailoa said. “Without a good team, without a good quarterback, I don’t think you can do much in this league. Sure, you can have a good defense. There’s really good offenses in this league, you’ve got to put up points and you’ve got to find ways to do that. So, I definitely believe that — for sure.”