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

It’s safe to say 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 LeBatard Show with Stugotz,” Tagovailoa gave a scathing review of life playing for Flores — whom he described as “an awesome person” — and how much better it is under current head coach Mike McDaniels.

Flores, now the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator, when asked for his reaction to Tagovailoa’s comments, said he was “really happy with his success” and acknowledged he also could have handled things differently.

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

“But I would say that long-term, I’ve had some great relationships over my 21-year career in the league. Players, coaches, staff, equipment, the guys in the kitchen. I mean, I’ve really had some great relationships with everybody. I’ll continue to do that, but I’m always trying to get better and get more 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 his 23 starts during that stretch saw the franchise go 13-8 in the regular season.

“Look, I’m human,” Flores said when asked specifically about Tagovailoa’s “terrible person” portrayal. “So it affected me in a way that wasn’t positive for me. But at the same time, I have to use that and say, ‘Hey, how can I move forward from this? How can I be better?’ And that’s really where I am from that standpoint. Do I feel like I am like that? No. But how can I move forward from that situation and create a world where nobody says that about Brian Flores?”

Flores said moving forward he is focused on being a “positive influence” on his players, just as coaches did with him when he played throughout his career from Pop Warner to Boston College.

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

“I don’t want to add anything more to that,” Tagovailoa said during a recent press conference.

The 26-year-old said he believes it’s important for a quarterback, more than any position, to have the support of his coach.

“This is a quarterback-driven league. I think so 100 percent,” 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 are really good offenses in this league, you have to put up points and you have to find ways to do that. So, I definitely believe that — for sure.”