Brian Flores has at least some support among his peers.
Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera praised Flores for the courage he has shown in suing the NFL. Flores in a class-action lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court claims the NFL, New York Giants, Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos discriminated against him and other Black coaches in their hiring practices. Going to war with the NFL likely will cost Flores future opportunities in the league, and Rivera has tipped his cap to ex-Dolphins boss.
“I think there is something to be looked at there, I really do,” Rivera said Wednesday on “CBS Mornings,” per the Richmond Tims-Dispatch’s Michael Phillips. “I think what Brian is doing is a really brave thing, because in this world, in what we do, we’ve got to be willing to open up our eyes and really decide on merit.
“You look at a guy like Brian and what he’s accomplished and what he’s done, there’s a lot of merit there, and those are the types of things people should be judged on.
“I think if we really take a step back and look at it, we would honestly say tehre are some things we’ve got to look even deeper into and we’ve got to make sure we make the right type of changes so that things are inclusive, so that we are doing the things that are right for us.”
Because Rivera is one of just three non-white NFL head coaches, many will consider his insights as part of the wider Flores story.
Although Rivera’s commentary lacked much substance, at least he now has weighed in with a bit of solidarity for Flores.
