Ryan Fitzpatrick warns teams about hiring "dictator" Brian Flores

Jarrett Bailey

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Ryan Fitzpatrick warns teams about hiring "dictator" Brian Flores image

The Minnesota Vikings' season is over, and they will now turn their attention towards an offseason that could feature a lot of change.

For starters, there are continued rumors about the team potentially looking to move on from former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy. The Michigan product struggled through poor play and injuries in his first season of action after missing his entire rookie year with a knee injury.

Additionally, defensive coordinator Brian Flores finished the final year of his contract. The Vikings would certainly like to keep him on their staff, but he could be eyeing a head coach job after the terrific job he's done with the Vikings' defense.

One person who has given fair warning to teams about hiring Flores as their head coach is his former quarterback with the Miami Dolphins, Ryan Fitzpatrick. In the midst of the head coaching cycle beginning, one fan posted a clip from a Fitz and Whit episode from December, 2024 where the former quarterback details how Flores went from a likable, relatable coach to a guy who led like a dictator during his time with the Dolphins.

"I think the interesting thing with Brian Flores when I think about him and being able to play under him for a few years is which version of Brian Flores are we getting? In Year One with Miami... Halfway through that year, we hadn't won a game yet and there was a shift in the way he was approaching his job. He was likable, he was relatable, he demanded a lot out of the players, but he was also able to get the best version of his players... But as his tenure went on in Miami, he kind of became unrecognizable."

"A lot of the staff, he brought over from New England. That was where, you know, he cut his teeth in the NFL, he was there for 15+ years as an assistant. But I think he's gonna have a really hard time if you're interviewing for him as a head coach. I think in the interviews he'll be likable, he'll be relatable. But when people say 'okay, 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... Instead of 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 those relationships..."

Now, it's important to point out that these are Fitzpatrick's first-hand accounts with Flores. It's also important to point out that people can learn from their past mistakes, and that Flores could do things better if given another shot to be a head coach.

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