Flores: Dolphins owner backed tanking, urged tampering in reported Brady chase

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filed a lawsuit against the NFL and three teams over alleged racial discrimination in hiring practices on Tuesday.

In the lawsuit, Flores claims that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered him $100,000 for every loss during the 2019 season, as Miami was in contention for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Flores notes that general manager Chris Grier told him Ross was "mad" at the team's success that year.

Miami began the 2019 campaign with an 0-7 record. However, the team won five of its final nine games to finish the year 5-11, giving them the No. 5 overall pick in the draft.

Flores also claims Ross pressured him "to recruit a prominent quarterback in violation of league tampering rules" during the following offseason.

Ross allegedly tried to set up a meeting on a yacht between Flores and the unnamed player in the winter of 2020. That quarterback was Tom Brady, according to a report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Brady became a free agent in March 2020, ending his two-decade stint with the New England Patriots. The star signal-caller later agreed to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Dolphins eventually used the fifth overall pick in the 2020 draft on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Miami reportedly attempted to acquire the 2020 No. 1 overall selection from the Cincinnati Bengals at the time and was willing to give up its three first-round picks that year in a trade.

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