Brian Flores says he has grown as a coach and wished Tua Tagovailoa well one day after the Miami Dolphins quarterback called out his coaching style.
Flores, who is now the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator, expressed his regret about how he handled their relationship when he was the head coach of the Dolphins.
In an interview with The Dan LeBatard Show on Monday, Tagovailoa described Flores as a "terrible person" during the time they spent together between 2019 and 2022.
Tagovailoa posted career-best figures for passes attempted (560), completed (388), passing yards (4,624) and touchdown passes (29) in 2023 and was handed a franchise-record four-year, $212.4million extension off the back of an impressive fourth season with the team.
On Tuesday, Flores addressed the situation during a session with reporters, saying: "I'm genuinely, genuinely happy for the success that Tua has had and I really wish him nothing but the best.
Flores said he's done a lot of reflecting since hearing the comments and admitted he had some faults in Miami, although he did not say anything said by Tagovailoa was untrue.
"I think part of coaching is correcting," Flores said. "I'm always going to correct. I'm always going to have a high standard.
"And I think, look, I've done a lot of reflecting on the situation, reflecting on the situation and communication."
"I think there's things that I could do better for sure, and I've grown in that way, and I've tried to apply the things that I could do better and the things that I've learned over the last two, three years.
"But I would say over the long haul, I've had a lot of great relationships over my 21-year career here in the league. Players, coaches, personnel, equipment, people in the kitchen.
"I mean really across the board, I've had a lot of great relationships. I'm going to continue to do that, but I'm also always looking to get better and involved."
Falcons make Terrell second highest-paid CB in NFL history with $81m deal
The Atlanta Falcons are making A.J. Terrell the second highest-paid cornerback in NFL history, handing him a four-year contract extension worth $81million.
Terrell will receive $65.8m in guaranteed money, according to a report from NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
The Green Bay Packers' Jaire Alexander, who signed a four-year, $84m extension in 2022, is the only cornerback to earn more than Terrell will make on his new deal.
Terrell was selected 16th overall by Atlanta in the 2020 NFL draft and has only missed seven games through his first four seasons with the team.
He was set to play on his fifth-year rookie option, worth $12.3m, in 2024, but the team have moved to tie him down for the long-term with his bumper new deal.
Terrell was voted into the second All-Pro team in 2021 and has compiled 247 tackles, 43 passes defensed, four interceptions and one sack for the Falcons to date.
He was an ever-present as they went 7-10 for a third straight season under Arthur Smith in 2023, prompting them to fire the head coach and bring in Raheem Morris as his replacement.
Atlanta have been busy revitalising their offense during the offseason, completing a huge free agency move for former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins before drafting Michael Pinix Jr. eighth overall as his long-term successor.
Tying Terrell down was seen as a key requirement on the defensive side of the ledger, and news of his extension comes as a major boost ahead of their season opener versus the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 8.
NFL MVP Jackson not using outside criticism as motivation
Lamar Jackson is not using outside criticism as motivation as he looks to go one step further in 2024 and lead the Baltimore Ravens to the Super Bowl.
Jackson was named NFL MVP for the second time in the 2023 season, having previously claimed the award in 2019.
He recorded career-high figures for passes attempted (457), completed (307) and passing yards (3,678), also throwing for 24 touchdowns and totalling 821 rushing yards.
However, he was unable to lead Baltimore to Super Bowl LVIII as John Harbaugh's team were beaten by the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
Jackson was criticised for his performance in that contest and has a 2-4 postseason record, but he is shutting out any noise surrounding his big-game displays ahead of the new season.
"I mean, I'm motivating myself because I know what I want to do, at the end of the day," he told reporters.
"Those guys have their time. I really don't care what the criticism is or what the critics say because at the end of the day, I just came off a season-ending injury the year before and we made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game in a new system.
"So, it's nothing to be down on myself, my team-mates or anything like that because we made it far, further than other years. We haven't been to the AFC in a long time…
"We've just got to keep going. We criticise ourselves more than anyone else. So, what people say on the outside, that's just their take.
"They can believe what they want to believe, but we know what we want, we know what we're striving for."
Broncos name rookie Nix starting quarterback
The Bo Nix era in Denver will begin right away.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton announced Wednesday that the rookie has won the team's starting quarterback job and will be under center for the season opener at the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 8.
Nix, the 12th overall pick in this year's draft, beat out veterans Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson for the starting job following a pair of impressive showings in Denver's first two preseason games. The former Oregon and Auburn standout will be the first rookie to start a Broncos season opener since Hall of Famer and franchise icon John Elway in 1983.
"He's been outstanding," Payton told reporters following Wednesday's practice.
Nix seized the starter's role with a strong preseason debut against the Indianapolis Colts on Aug. 11 and an even better performance against the Green Bay Packers one week later. The 24-year-old completed 15 of 21 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown against the Colts, then followed up with 80 yards and a touchdown on 8-of-9 passing against Green Bay.
The Broncos scored points on six of seven drives led by Nix over those two games.
"The past few weeks I've felt really comfortable," Nix said. "Getting to a different defence, playing these preseason games have really helped me a lot. I think that's helped in the growth process.
"I feel really comfortable where I'm at now, and excited to get to the last week of preseason and then get to the full season."
Nix arrived in Denver as one of the most accurate and experienced quarterbacks in college football history. His 61 career starts are the most by any Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) quarterback, and he set a new FBS record for completion percentage in a single season after connecting on 77.4 per cent of his throws with Oregon in 2023.
The 2023 Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, Nix also won the William Campbell trophy - considered the "Academic Heisman" - as the American college football player with the best combination of academics, community service and on-field performance.
Nix was the last of six quarterbacks taken in the first 12 selections of this year's draft, and the third to be officially declared his his team's starter going into the season. Top overall choice Caleb Williams will start for the Chicago Bears in Week 1, as will No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels for the Washington Commanders.
"We feel like [this] offseason, at such an important position, we made some really good decisions," Payton said. "And we're going to have a chance to see them unfold at the season goes on."
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