Losing 59-10 at any level of football leaves a mark. In Miami, it’s sparking a mutiny.
Per a league source with knowledge of the situation, multiple Dolphins players contacted their agents after Sunday’s season-opening blowout loss and directed them to attempt to engineer trades elsewhere. The players believe that the coaching staff, despite claiming that they intend to try to win, aren’t serious about competing and winning and by all appearances have bought into the notion that the Dolphins will take their lumps now in the hopes of laying the foundation via high draft picks for building a successful team later.
Coach Brian Flores consistently has denied an intention to tank, but the first rule of Tank Club is never talk about Tank Club.
And even if Flores insists that there’s no tanking, that doesn’t keep the players from: (1) believing it’s happening, based on the trade that sent tackle Laremy Tunsil and receiver Kenny Still to Houston eight days ago; and (2) wanting to be no part of it.
The Dolphins informed PFT that they have not heard from any agents or players regarding this matter, and that they have not received any requests for players to be traded.
Again, this doesn’t mean that coach Brian Flores and his staff are actually not trying to win. Flores is a respected coach with a strong work ethic and high character. But the perception wasn’t good before Sunday, and now it’s getting worse after a 49-point loss to the Ravens.
It’s inevitable that, eventually, people inside the locker room were going to notice. They now have, and some of them want out.