Updated Feb. 13, 2026, 1:51 p.m. MT
Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL — and four teams, including the Denver Broncos — can be litigated in open court after the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled against commissioner Roger Goodell serving as an arbitrator between Flores and the league.
“The ruling means that the Flores claims against the NFL, the Dolphins, the Giants, the Broncos, and the Texans will be handled in court, not arbitration,” Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com wrote on Friday. “It also applies to the claims made by Steve Wilks against the Cardinals, and by Ray Horton against the Titans.”
Flores, 44, currently serves as the Minnesota Vikings‘ defensive coordinator. He filed the lawsuit in 2022, accusing the NFL of racism in hiring. The lawsuit named the Broncos after Flores alleged they interviewed him for their head coach opening in 2021 “only because of the Rooney Rule.” Denver denied those allegations in 2022, calling them “blatantly false.”
Despite the ongoing lawsuit, the Broncos put in a request to interview Flores for their defensive coordinator position in 2023. He ended up joining Minnesota instead, and Denver hired Vance Joseph.
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