NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addresses ongoing Brian Flores discrimination lawsuit

by: Griffin McVeigh 22 hours ago griffin_mcveigh

Monday brought the annual Super Bowl press conference for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. On stage with NBC’s Maria Taylor, Goodell faced a wide-range of topics concerning the league at the moment.

One of those was the lawsuit against the NFL from current Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores . Goodell addressed the situation, giving a broad answer while leaving a lot for lawyers to answer.

“Some of this is legal chair, so I’ll let the lawyers discuss,” Goodell said. “But I would just tell you from a broader standpoint — arbitration is what we have between our clubs and the league and the commissioner’s responsibility between individuals under contract and the commissioner’s role. So, it is part of the commissioner’s role. It has been and continues to be and is an important element in getting resolution to issues so we can move forward without unnecessary litigation. Beyond that, I’ll leave it to the lawyers to go from there.”

Flores is suing the NFL for discrimination. Back in October, a judge ruled against moving the case to arbitration, saying it must be heard in an open court. Flores filed a class-action suit against the NFL in 2022, along with the New York Giants, Denver Broncos, and Miami Dolphins. He accused the NFL of being “rife with racism” during its hiring processes and also alleged racial discrimination during his time in Miami, where he served as head coach.

More on Brian Flores, current status with the NFL

Despite having an active lawsuit against the NFL, Flores is still employed within the league. He is currently the defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings. A new deal between the two was just struck after there was some outside interest in Flores.

Read More