Stephon Gilmore, NFL players react to shocking Brian Flores firing

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Apparently seven-game win streaks don't guarantee you job security in the NFL.

The Miami Dolphins fired head coach Brian Flores on Monday morning after he led his team to a 33-24 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday. While the Dolphins missed the playoffs at 9-8, they won eight of their final nine games and swept the division rival Patriots, appearing to build some momentum entering 2022.

Instead, Flores is out after three seasons and a 24-25 record with the Dolphins. News of the former Patriots assistant coach's firing sent shockwaves through the NFL, with several players who worked with Flores -- including Carolina Panthers cornerback Stephon Gilmore, Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux and current Dolphins cornerback Jason McCourty -- tweeting their incredulous reactions.

Gilmore spent two seasons with Flores in New England (2017 and 2018) and won a Super Bowl with the then-Patriots linebackers coach in 2018, while Godchaux was on Flores' Dolphins in 2019 and 2020 before coming to the Patriots this season.

Former Patriots cornerback Darius Butler, who overlapped with Flores on the Patriots in 2009 and 2010, was similarly surprised by the news.

There was a voice of dissent, however: Ex-Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes insisted Flores is no Bill Belichick and didn't seem as floored by his exit. (Warning: Tweet contains NSFW language.)

https://twitter.com/brandonspikes55/status/1480558918606725126

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer suggested there may be a "power struggle" in Miami with general manager Chris Grier staying on board, and the fallout could impact the Patriots: Flores is expected to be a candidate for other head coach jobs, while it's possible New England assistant Jerod Mayo gets a look at the new Miami vacancy.

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