Brian Flores' lawsuit allowed to proceed to trial

The racial discrimination lawsuit filed by current Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores will be allowed to move to the trial phase, according to a report from the Associated Press.

On Tuesday, Judge Valerie Caproni did not change her March decision to allow the case to proceed against the New York Giants, Denver Broncos and Houston Texans. However, she said that two other coaches who joined Flores' suit must have their claims heard in arbitration, a process that would likely be overseen by commissioner Roger Goodell.

Flores, formerly the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, was fired after amassing a 24-25 record in three years as their head coach from 2019-21. However, despite not having a playoff appearance in his tenure, the Fins finished 2020 with a 10-6 record and rallied to win eight of their last nine games to flirt with the playoffs after a 1-7 start in 2021.

Flores filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL, the Giants, Broncos and Texans because he alleged that the teams conducted sham interviews with him to comply with the Rooney Rule while appearing to already have hired white head coaches. 

Flores also claimed that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross pressured him to lose games so that the team could increase their chances of landing better draft picks as well as engage in tampering by communicating with a quarterback before hitting free agency. (That quarterback was Tom Brady, who would leave New England for Tampa Bay.)

Caproni rejected a claim by the league that Flores' contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, which he served as a defensive assistant in 2022, nullified any claims he made against it, therefore stopping his lawsuit.

The Vikings hired Flores earlier this year to replace Ed Donatell with hopes that he could resurrect a defense that ranked 31st in total defense and 30th in points allowed.