On Tuesday, May 26th, the Supreme Court rejected the NFL’s appeal about Brian Flores’ discrimination lawsuit against the league to be handled through arbitration. The case now moves forward in federal court, where the league must face accusations that its hiring process discriminates against minority coaches.

Flores had originally filed the lawsuit in February 2022, after the Miami Dolphins fired him. In his initial lawsuit, he sued the NFL, the Dolphins, the Denver Broncos, and the New York Giants, claiming the league was “rife with racism” in how it hired and promoted Black coaches.

Soon, fellow coaches Steve Wilks and Ray Horton also joined Flores as co-plaintiffs in April 2022, adding three more teams to the lawsuit – The Arizona Cardinals, the Houston Texans, and the Tennessee Titans. Wilks, the former Cardinals head coach, alleged that the Cardinals hired him as a “bridge coach” without giving him a real shot.

Horton, longtime defensive coordinator, alleged the Titans gave him a “sham” interview for their 2016 head coaching job only to fulfill the Rooney Rule, and had already decided on Mike Mularkey instead. The NFL argued that Flores should go through arbitration rather than the legal system, with the default arbitrator being NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell himself. Flores & Co. pushed back on that, and in May 2026, he amended his lawsuit to subpoena an additional 25 teams, bringing the entire league into the discussion.

Following the Supreme Court’s decision, Attorneys Douglas H. Wigdor and David E. Gottlieb issued a statement regarding the matter.

“The NFL must now accept that its commissioner cannot be the arbitrator over discrimination claims against the league and its teams,” they said. “We look forward to litigating these claims in court.”

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals had already determined last year that the NFL’s arbitration argument was “plainly unenforceable” due to Commissioner Roger Goodell’s authority over the process. The Supreme Court’s decision lets that ruling stand.

Brian Flores currently serves as the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator, but remains without another head coaching opportunity despite interviewing for multiple jobs since being fired. While there may still be good fits waiting for him, questions persist about his future after going against the league with this lawsuit.