Brian Flores on Taking a Stand Against the NFL

The Limits with Jay Williams

Brian Flores is not messing around. The former Miami Dolphins head coach was fired last month, and had his eyes set on the top job with the New York Giants. But a misdirected text from New England Patriots general manager Bill Belichick convinced Flores, who is Black and Latino, that the hiring process was rigged against him, and that race was a major factor. He responded to the NFL by filing a class-action lawsuit on Tuesday. He was one of only three Black head coaches in the NFL at the time of his firing, in a league that has a majority of Black players. The lawsuit accuses the league of systemic racism and discriminatory hiring practices. It's made for a whirlwind 48 hours for Flores, who did not come to the decision to take legal action lightly. And it's arguably a louder stand than when Colin Kaepernick took his knee and paid the price. In this episode of The Limits, host Jay Williams sits down with Flores to talk about the change he hopes to inspire in the NFL, and the sacrifices he's willing to make to see that change take flight. For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus at plus.npr.org/thelimits. Follow Jay on Instagram and Twitter. Email us at [e-mail] Limits is produced by Karen Kinney, Mano Sundaresan, Leena Sanzgiri, Barton Girdwood, Brent Baughman, Rachel Neel and Yolanda Sangweni. Music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our executive producer is Anya Grundmann. Special thanks to Charla Riggi and Erin Register.