John Elway said Brian Flores was a serious candidate for the Denver Broncos’ coaching job when he interviewed in January 2019 — contrary to what Flores charged in a discrimination lawsuit filed this week against the NFL.
In his lawsuit, Flores called the interview with Denver’s brass a “sham” and said he was interviewed only because of the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview a minority candidate.
In a statement issued Thursday to The Denver Post, Elway — now president of football operations — said Flores’ statements were false.
“While I was not planning to respond publicly to the false and defamatory claims by Brian Flores, I could not be silent any longer with my character, integrity and professionalism being attacked.
“I took Coach Flores very seriously as a candidate for our head coaching position in 2019 and enjoyed our three-and-a-half hour interview with him. Along with the rest of our group, I was prepared, ready and fully engaged during the entire interview as Brian shared his experience and vision for our team.
“It’s unfortunate and shocking to learn for the first time this week that Brian felt differently about our interview with him.”
The Broncos hired Vic Fangio. The Miami Dolphins hired Flores and fired him last month after the team went 9-8 in 2021.
Fangio also was fired following the 2021 season. The Broncos replaced him with Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
In his lawsuit, Flores also said the New York Giants conducted a “sham interview” before hiring Brian Daboll last week, and he alleged Dolphins owner Steven Ross offered him money to lose games to improve the team’s draft stock. Both parties denied the allegations.
–Field Level Media