Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores claims he was offered money to keep quiet after firing

By Wayne Sterling, CNN

Updated 1443 GMT (2243 HKT) February 23, 2022

Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the field prior to an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, in Miami Gardens Fla. The Dolphins won 33-24.

(CNN)Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores said team owner Stephen Ross offered him millions of dollars to keep quiet after he was fired in January.

In his first interview since joining the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff, Flores, who is suing the Dolphins, the NFL and other teams alleging racial discrimination, told HBO Real Sports' Bryant Gumbel he refused to sign a nondisparagement agreement (NDA) so he could speak out about his experience. Flores' attorneys, Doug Wigdor and John Elefterakis, joined him on the show. «I think just signing that separation agreement would have really silenced me,» Flores said. When asked by Gumbel how much money he left on the table by not signing the agreement, Flores said, «a lot.» Elefterakis chimed in and said, «It was millions of dollars.»Read MoreIn a statement to CNN, the D​olphins denied Flores' claims.Pittsburgh Steelers hire Brian Flores, who is suing the NFL for racial discrimination, as assistant coach«This latest assertion by Brian Flores that Steve Ross mentioned an NDA to him is categorically false. This just did not happen, and we simply cannot understand why Brian continues this pattern of making unfounded statements that he knows are untrue,» the team said. «We are fully cooperating with the NFL investigation and look forward to all of the facts coming out which we are confident will prove that his claims are false and defamatory.»Flores lawyers responded to the Dolphins on Twitter by posting images of