Allegations made by Brian Flores against Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, if proven accurate, could force Ross to sell the team.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that the league is taking Flores’ claim that Ross offered to pay him $100,000 per loss during the 2019 season “extremely seriously.” That offer allegedly was made in an effort to improve Miami’s standing in the 2020 NFL Draft.
A forced sale of the Dolphins would require a three-fourths majority vote from Ross’ fellow NFL owners.
From Rapoport:
Sources informed of the league’s investigation say the probe has only just begun, and investigators plan to speak with all relevant parties — including Flores — as soon as possible. It’s clear the league takes the possibility of tanking extremely seriously — seeing it as a threat to the integrity of the game — with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell saying last Wednesday during his pre-Super Bowl LVI news conference that “if there were violations, they won’t be tolerated.”
Case in point: If the league investigation finds Ross offered Flores $100,000 for each loss during the 2019 NFL season, as Flores alleges, the discipline could be severe, up to and including Ross losing the team by a vote of fellow owners, per sources. Goodell addressed the concept of an owner being voted out last Wednesday, noting that “I do believe that clubs do have the authority to remove an owner from the league.”
A league source confirmed that owners could, in fact, vote a fellow owner out under the most dire circumstances based on league rules, which would require a three-fourths vote.
In his class-action discrimination lawsuit filed against the NFL, Flores also alleges Ross tried to persuade him to violate NFL rules to recruit a “prominent” NFL quarterback — reportedly Tom Brady — after the 2019 season. Ross strongly denied both claims, calling them “false, malicious and defamatory.”
The suit also includes allegations against the New York Giants and Denver Broncos, and Flores reportedly plans to add the Texans, as well, claiming Houston declined to hire him as its head coach as “retaliation” for his legal action.
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