Flores, the former Dolphins head coach from 2019 to \u201921 and current Vikings defensive coordinator, first filed in February of \u201922\u2014less than a month after his firing in Miami. In the suit, the longtime defensive coach accused the NFL\u2014as well as the Dolphins, Giants and Broncos\u2014of discriminatory hiring practices tied to the NFL\u2019s Rooney Rule<\/a>, which was established in 2003 to increase diversity in leadership across the sport, while describing the league as \u201crife with racism.\u201d<\/p>\n To understand how the case has reached the point of being heard in front of a judge, here\u2019s a timeline of events and key developments.<\/p>\n Brian Flores lawsuit timeline: How case reached Supreme Court and will now proceed to trial Flores’s case against the NFL is set to proceed to trial. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Jan. 10, 2022: Flores is fired by the Dolphins<\/p>\n Flores was hired as the Dolphins\u2019 head coach in 2019 after previously spending his entire 11-year NFL coaching career with the Patriots. After three seasons\u2014including consecutive winning campaigns in 2020 and \u201921\u2014however, he was fired.<\/p>\n It has since been reported that<\/a>, before parting ways with Flores, Dolphins team owner Stephen Ross was pursuing Sean Payton to be the club\u2019s next coach and Tom Brady to be their next quarterback. The team was eventually investigated for and found guilty of tampering, resulting in fines and being stripped of several draft picks, including their first-rounder in 2023..\u00a0<\/p>\n Feb. 1, 2022: Flores files class-action suit against NFL, three teams<\/p>\n After throwing his hat back into the proverbial head coaching ring to no avail, Flores filed a class-action suit against the league<\/a> and three of its teams on Feb. 1. The suit alleged, in part, that Flores received a text message from Bill Belichick<\/a> mistakenly congratulating him on receiving the Giants\u2019 head coaching job days before his interview had even taken place. Belichick later clarified that it was Brian Daboll\u2014not Flores\u2014whom he had heard landed the gig, effectively suggesting that New York had already decided on its next head coach before interviewing minority candidates.<\/p>\n Additionally, Flores alleged that while interviewing for the Broncos\u2019 head coaching position in 2019, then general manager John Elway and other members of Denver\u2019s front office arrived an hour late to their meeting and appeared hungover. He also claims that during his time as head coach of the Dolphins, Ross pressured him to intentionally lose games for better draft positioning and encouraged tampering with players ahead of free agency. Flores alleged that his firing stemmed from his refusal to comply with Ross.<\/p>\n Feb. 19, 2022: Steelers hire Flores as senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach<\/p>\n Despite being in the middle of said lawsuit, Flores was hired by the Steelers weeks later as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach. In his lone season in Pittsburgh, the Steelers were a top-10 defense in terms of points per game allowed (20.4) and turnover differential (plus-4) while leading the NFL in interceptions (20).<\/p>\n Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, who is Black, said at the time<\/a>: \u201cI wanted to stay close to Brian when his legal issues started. I just didn\u2019t want him to feel like he was on an island. I think from a coaching fraternity standpoint, I owed him that. I was in a position to provide that. I think that started our interactions and conversations. Over the course of those discussions, particularly when it became evident that he was not going to get a head job, I think the natural discussion began and it really ran its course rather quickly, to be quite honest with you. It doesn\u2019t require a lot of time to come to the realization that you could use a Brian Flores on your staff.\u201d<\/p>\n April 8, 2022: Former Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks, longtime NFL assistant Ray Horton join lawsuit<\/p>\n Months after the lawsuit was initially filed, former NFL coaches Steve Wilks and Ray Horton joined Flores\u2019s case, alleging similar discriminatory hiring practices.<\/p>\n Wilks claimed that the Cardinals hired him in 2018 as simply a \u201cbridge coach\u201d before firing him after just one season, while Horton alleged that the Titans didn\u2019t offer him a genuine interview while speaking to them about their head coaching position in 2016.<\/p>\n Feb. 6, 2023: Vikings hire Flores as defensive coordinator<\/p>\n Flores was hired by the Vikings as their defensive coordinator in 2023\u2014replacing Ed Donatell\u2014After a successful stint with the Steelers the previous season.<\/p>\n Flores has since helped Minnesota\u2019s defense to two consecutive top-10 finishes in points per game allowed and sacks, a league-leading 33 takeaways in 2023, and has further developed a blitz-happy scheme that keeps offensive coordinators up at night.<\/p>\n March 1, 2023: Judge grants NFL\u2019s motion to hear specific claims under league-led arbitration<\/p>\n While the suit is now set to be heard in open court, some specific claims\u2014notably Flores\u2019s against the Dolphins\u2014will be allowed to be handled in arbitration<\/a>, as ruled by U.S. District Court Judge Valerie E. Caprou.<\/p>\n May 19, 2026: Flores\u2019s lawyers serve subpoenas to 25 NFL teams<\/p>\n Fast-forward to 2026, and according to ESPN\u2019s Kris Rhim<\/a>, court filings show that Flores\u2019s lawyers recently served subpoenas to 25 teams\u2014as well as more than 1,000 discovery requests\u2014in order to obtain \u201cleague-wide hiring records and communications\u201d related to discrimination.\u00a0<\/p>\n Given that the suit had already named the Dolphins, Giants, Broncos, Texans, Titans and Cardinals, Flores and his legal team have now served subpoenas to 31 NFL teams, excluding only the Vikings\u2014his current employer.<\/p>\n May 26, 2026: Supreme Court refuses to intervene in Flores\u2019s lawsuit vs. NFL<\/p>\n The U.S. Supreme Court has now officially ruled that the case will be heard in open court in New York. According to the Associated Press<\/a>, David Gottlieb and Douglas Wigdor\u2014attorneys for the plaintiffs\u2014were pleased with the decision, stating, \u201cThe NFL must now accept that its commissioner cannot be the arbitrator over discrimination claims against the league and its teams. We look forward to litigating these claims in court.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Brian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01ksk3pava4yzmtbe4rt.jpg\" "\\"Brian")
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