Roger Goodell Praises Brian Flores When Asked About Lawsuit

The league commissioner praised the former Dolphins coach when asked about the open lawsuit against the NFL alleging racial discrimination.

Former Dolphins head coach and current Steelers assistant Brian Flores made waves earlier this offseason following his firing from Miami, as he filed a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination in the league’s hiring practices.

At the time the lawsuit was filed, which was just before the start of the NFL playoffs, the league denied the allegations of discrimination, saying that they were without merit.

Despite the NFL immediately refuting the allegations of Flores, league commissioner Roger Goodell took a softer stance on the coach in advance of Thursday night’s NFL draft. 

When asked about Flores, Goodell said that he had “great respect for Brian” and that the league needs to do a better job with its diversity efforts in its hiring practices.

“I have great respect for Brian. He’s a great coach and I think a great man, so I’m glad he’s coaching with the Steelers,” Goodell said, per ProFootballTalk.

“We’re taking everything he’s talked about as far as opportunities for African-American coaches, and other people of color, including women. We want to make sure that we’re doing better there. We’ve been very deliberate and intentional at our efforts in diversity and inclusion, but we haven’t done as well with head coaches, so we want to make sure we’re doing everything we can in that area. … It’s something we want to do better and I believe we will.”

To date, the investigation remains open with no immediate timetable for resolution.

• Daily Cover: 2022 NFL Mock Draft: Final Projection on Draft Day