Brian Flores Adds Retaliation Claims in 106-Page NFL Suit After Supreme Court Lets Case Proceed
Updated
Updated · NBC Sports · May 27
Brian Flores Adds Retaliation Claims in 106-Page NFL Suit After Supreme Court Lets Case Proceed
12 articles · Updated · NBC Sports · May 27
A 106-page third amended complaint says the NFL retaliated against Brian Flores after his discrimination suit, alleging he has not received a head-coaching offer since filing the case in 2022.
Tuesday’s Supreme Court decision not to hear the NFL’s appeal means Flores’s claims will be decided in court rather than arbitration, giving the new allegations a clearer path to discovery.
The amendment does not add a new legal count, but it expands existing retaliation claims and specifically points to the Texans’ 2022 decision to hire Lovie Smith after naming Flores a finalist.
Flores currently sues the Dolphins, Texans, Broncos and Giants, and the complaint argues a broader NFL 'culture of retaliation' could explain missed interviews or offers across the 2023-2026 hiring cycles.
If Flores ultimately prevails, the league or teams could face damages based on head-coach pay dating back to 2022, even if he never lands another top job.
Could the Flores lawsuit dismantle unfair employer arbitration agreements far beyond the world of professional sports?
With the NFL's arbitration shield broken, what will 24 years of secret hiring data from all 32 teams finally expose?
Supreme Court Rejects NFL Appeal, Opening Public Trial on Brian Flores’ Systemic Racism Claims
Overview
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on May 26, 2026, to decline the NFL’s appeal in Brian Flores’ racial discrimination lawsuit means the case will move forward in open federal court, not private arbitration. This is a major win for Flores and other Black coaches who allege they were denied coaching and general manager positions due to systematic racism in the NFL’s hiring and promotion practices. The NFL had pushed for arbitration, but lower-court rulings allowing a public trial remain in place, ensuring the league’s internal practices will face public scrutiny and setting the stage for a landmark legal battle.