Brian Flores says he declined to sign Miami Dolphins’ separation agreement in order to speak out on treatment by team

In his dismissal by the Miami Dolphins very last month, mentor Brian Flores declined to indication a separation agreement introduced by workforce owner Stephen Ross, Flores told Bryant Gumbel of HBO’s “Serious Athletics.”

“Just signing that separation settlement would have definitely silenced me,” Flores explained in an episode that airs Tuesday night.

By not signing the separation arrangement, Flores remaining hundreds of thousands of dollars on the table, reported John Elefterakis, a single of Flores’ lawyers. But not signing also granted him the flexibility to speak about his procedure in Miami.

“To Mentor Flores’ credit, he wasn’t gonna indicator that, mainly because he wished — it was not about the revenue,” legal professional Doug Wigdor advised Gumbel, adding it was a two-year non-disparagement arrangement deal. “If it was about the revenue he would have signed it. What he did in its place was he submitted this lawsuit so that he could enable other coaches, now … and in the foreseeable future.”

Wigdor additional: “If a coach is terminated with a pair several years or a calendar year still left on their agreement, they don’t get compensated unless of course they signal a waiver, an NDA, confidentiality and non-disparagement. So they buy their silence.”

The Dolphins responded to Flores’ comments on Tuesday evening, calling them “categorically bogus.”

“This latest assertion by Brian Flores that Steve Ross described an NDA to him is categorically untrue. This just did not occur and we simply just cannot comprehend why Brian proceeds this pattern of generating unfounded statements that he is aware are untrue,” the crew explained. “We are totally cooperating with the NFL investigation and look ahead to all of the facts coming out which we are confident will verify that his claims are bogus and defamatory.”

Flores’ attorneys disputed the Dolphins’ declare and furnished what they said were screenshots of the draft settlement and the payment termination discover. A person of the provisions specifically specific a non-disparagement clause. Due to the fact Flores didn’t indication the team’s separation and launch agreement, he was despatched a payment termination detect by Brandon Shore, senior vice president of football and business enterprise administration. The memo mentioned that Flores would not be entitled to acquire continuing payments of all non-accrued benefits and compensation due to the fact he did not signal the agreement.

In response to the #Dolphins calling Brian Flores’ assertion of an NDA “categorically untrue,” beneath are screenshots from the draft settlement & payment termination discover.

If #BrianFlores experienced signed this, he would have been gagged and unable to communicate about his expertise.#NFL pic.twitter.com/rlEgTXsd4I

— WigdorLaw (@WigdorLaw) February 23, 2022

With the capability to talk freely about his time with the Dolphins, Flores, who was just lately hired as a defensive assistant by the Pittsburgh Steelers, submitted a lawsuit towards the NFL and a few teams (the Dolphins, Giants and Broncos), alleging racial discrimination in choosing tactics and his dismissal by Miami.

Amongst other allegations, Flores claimed he was presented $100,000 per decline by Ross in 2019, some thing he and his attorneys told Gumbel they have proof of and would be prepared to share with the NFL in its investigation of Ross.