In April, the NFL first asked that the Brian Flores lawsuit be settled privately in arbitration — much to the chagrin of Flores’ lawyer, who provided a scathing response in a court hearing in May.
On Tuesday, the NFL made the request official by filing a motion requesting arbitration, and including contract documents that suggested Flores and other coaches had agreed to arbitration in writing.
If granted, the request would protect the NFL from potentially damning information coming to light in public court documents released during the discovery phase of the case.
A ruling on the matter reportedly wouldn’t be handed down until later this summer.
Flores filed the lawsuit in February, claiming a number of teams and the NFL have racially discriminatory hiring practices. Flores, who is Black, was fired at the end of the 2021 season. He had a total record of 25-24, and had won eight of his last nine games.
Former Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks and assistant Ray Horton have since joined the suit.
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