As the Cleveland Browns slog through another torturous season under Kevin Stefanski, the persistent question of his coaching status lingers. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has sent mixed messages dating back to before the season regarding the subject on all Browns fans' minds.
In October, Haslam gave the maligned coach a vote of confidence, referencing his own culpability in the Deshaun Watson trade that has recently haunted the Browns. However, Haslam also said another three-win season wouldn't cut it, back in July. For those keeping track at home (begrudgingly), the Browns sit with three wins and just two games left to play.
The time is coming for Haslam to make a decision, and a troubling history involving one of this coaching cycle's top candidates is an important anecdote for Browns fans to consider as Brian Flores' name swirls around the rumor mill.
The difficulty with forecasting Flores' future is his murky history. For one, after three seasons with the Miami Dolphins, Flores compiled a 24–25 record. While that may sound mediocre, many believed the 2019 squad he inherited was the league's worst — a team he willed to five victories, only to miss out on the Joe Burrow sweepstakes of 2020, much to his detriment.
What happened next is a complicated saga full of a whole lot of he-said-he-said. Following his ouster in Miami, Flores filed suit against the NFL, the Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos, New York Giants, and Houston Texans, alleging racial discrimination. To this day, the suit continues to work its way through the legal system.
Haslam doesn't necessarily seem to care to ruffle the feathers of his fellow owners, as he did when he broke rank and handed Deshaun Watson an unprecedented, fully guaranteed $240 million contract. It's difficult to envision a scenario where Haslam would steer clear of Flores due to his pending litigation.
The real issue Browns fans should have with a potential Brian Flores hire
At this point, the overwhelming majority of Browns fans have already turned the page on the Deshaun Watson era in Cleveland. It began with mixed feelings from many, imploded in absurd fashion, and came to a screeching halt almost as quickly as it started. While Watson remains on the roster and present in the building, he may as well be a phantom to most fans.
Things get sticky when you consider that Flores was a huge Watson fan back when the Texans were shopping him in 2021. He was such a fan, in fact, that he was willing to bury Tua Tagovailoa — a quarterback selected fifth overall just one year prior — in order to bring Watson aboard to lead his Dolphins team. Watson wanted Flores and Miami, too.
Reports from the time indicate it was a done deal, so long as all legal cases against Watson were settled prior to the trade deadline. Alas, Watson was unable to get in the clear, and the Dolphins ultimately moved on from Flores after the 2021 season.
As such — seeing as the Browns still owe him an additional guaranteed $45 million next season — it cannot be ruled out that if Flores were to be hired in Cleveland, the quarterback fans thought was firmly in the rearview mirror might end up back in the mix. For this reason alone, it seems unwise for the Browns to go down this path.
Here's to hoping that whatever winds up happening with the Browns, the Deshaun Watson era is truly over for good.