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Report: Brian Flores told Tua the Dolphins were pursuing Deshaun Watson before their preseason finale

Brian Flores and Tua Tagovailoa

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores reportedly told Tua Tagovailoa prior to the team’s final 2021 preseason game that it was trying to acquire Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen offered that bit of information during the network’s Super Bowl preview.

“Sources say that in the final preseason game before the Dolphins played the [Cincinnati] Bengals, ironically, Flores told Tua that the rumors were true,” Mortensen said. “They were trying to get Deshaun Watson in a trade.”

The rumors of the Dolphins trying to acquire Watson aren’t new, with the team being linked to the disgruntled signal-caller during much of this past offseason. Watson’s issues off the field resulted in the quarterback not playing this season.

Despite that uncertainty, Mortensen’s report indicates that the Dolphins seemingly were still pursuing a deal for Watson while publicly stating that Tagovailoa was their quarterback.

After Flores was dismissed, stories of conflict with Tagovailoa surfaced. Flores reportedly also wanted more power than he already had within the organization.

New Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has already expressed his confidence in Tagovailoa.