Brian Flores is leaving the Dolphins, and he might be taking the chances of Deshaun Watson landing in Miami with him.
Fresh off a 33-24 win over New England, the Dolphins on Monday morning stunningly fired Flores, who went 24-25 over three seasons in Miami, including a 4-2 record against Bill Belichick and the Patriots. Miami, which won eight of its final nine games this season, now is in search of a new head coach. That alone could be great news for New England, as Flores clearly knows how to successfully coach against Belichick.
However, that's not the top reason why the Patriots could benefit from Flores' departure.
Ahead of the NFL trade deadline, Miami was considered the most likely landing spot for star quarterback Deshaun Watson, who sat out the entire 2022 season due to his frustration with the Houston Texans. The uncertainty surrounding Watson's legal woes reportedly prevented a trade from taking place, but multiple reports indicated the Dolphins and Texans could work something out this offseason. But, with Flores now out of the picture, Watson might try to force a trade elsewhere.
"Brian Flores was a significant reason why Deshaun Watson wanted to be in Miami," NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported Monday morning. "WIth Flores out, this situation may have changed."
As we wrote in October, Watson joining the Dolphins would be a significant development for New England, and not in a good way. Regardless of how anyone thinks of Watson as a person, the reality is he's a three-time Pro Bowler and one of the best quarterbacks in football. The 26-year-old immediately would become the best signal-caller in the AFC East -- yes, he's better than Josh Allen -- and the Dolphins likely would surpass the Patriots in the divisional pecking order, if they haven't already. Sure, Miami making an Adam Gase-like hire would alter the calculus, but Watson largely has proven coach-proof since entering the NFL.
Whether Watson stays interested in the Dolphins post-Flores remains to be seen. The possibility of Miami working behind the scenes with Watson to identify his preferred head coach probably shouldn't be ruled out, either.
Nevertheless, the likelihood of Watson becoming a Dolphin seemingly took a major hit Monday, and that's a welcome development for everyone else in the AFC East, including the Patriots.
