Filings reveal Flores' lawyers served subpoenas to 25 teams - ESPN

Brian Flores' lawsuit against the NFL intensified this week after court filings revealed that his legal team has served subpoenas to 25 NFL teams and served more than 1,000 discovery requests in an attempt to obtain leaguewide hiring records and communications related to discrimination claims.

The court filing didn't identify which 25 teams were subpoenaed.

The NFL, Denver Broncos, New York Giants and Houston Texans — the defendants currently contesting Flores' claims — argued in response that the requests are «punishingly overboard,» but Flores' attorneys say the information is necessary to prove systemic discrimination in hiring practices across the league.

Judge Valerie E. Caproni approved a briefing schedule that would have Flores file a third amended complaint Wednesday, motions to dismiss on June 5, and briefs in late July and August.

The next few months will center around whether Flores' claims are strong enough to proceed, and if the case survives, it could lead to the discovery of NFL hiring practices across the league.

Flores, the former Miami Dolphins head coach and current Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator, has been in a legal fight with the NFL for over four years. In February 2022, he sued the league and three teams — the Dolphins, Broncos and Giants — for being «rife with racism,» in their hiring and promotion of Black coaches.

Among his allegations: that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered him $100,000 per loss in 2019 to help with the team's draft position and that the Giants and Broncos conducted «sham» in-person interviews with him to comply with the Rooney Rule. He was fired on Jan. 10, 2022, despite leading the Dolphins' first back-to-back winning seasons since 2003.

Months later, Flores filed