John Elway, the New York Giants, and Dolphins owner Stephen Ross have released statements responding to the allegations brought by Flores that range from “sham interviews” that made him feel disrespected to Ross allegedly offering Flores $100,000 for each loss in Flores’ first season as Dolphins head coach to improve their draft position by losing as many games as possible.

Flores alleged that his 2019 interview to be the head coach of the Denver Broncos was not taken seriously by Elway, the general manager of the team at the time, as well as other Broncos executives he interviewed with. His lawsuit alleged that Elway and others arrived at the interview looking “completely disheveled,” as Flores implies he believed the men were drinking the night before and were hungover.

In a statement, Elway called the claims “false and defamatory,” and said the executives enjoyed their three-and-a-half-hour interview with Flores, according to NFL Network’s James Palmer. Elway said it was “subjective, hurtful and just plain wrong,” for Flores to make an assumption the men were hungover based on their appearance and Elway claimed if they appeared that way, it was because they had completed another interview the day before and had to take a late-night flight to meet Flores.

The lawsuit also alleged that the Giants used Flores to conduct a “sham interview,” meaning they only interviewed him with no intention of hiring him to meet the NFL’s Rooney Rule requirement of interviewing minority candidates for open coaching and executive positions.

The lawsuit also included text messages from New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick in which Belichick, believing he was texting Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, accidentally congratulated Flores after he said he had heard the Giants would be hiring him.

Flores asked Belichick if he was sure he was texting the right person, considering he had not interviewed in person with Giants executives yet, which prompted a response of “Sorry – I f—ed this up,” from Belichick. Daboll was hired as the Giants new head coach days later.

A statement released Thursday by the Giants refutes Flores’ accusations, saying their decision to hire Daboll as their head coach was made a full day after Flores’ interview. The Giants also said that Flores basing the allegation on texts from an opposing coach who “does not speak for and has no affiliation with the Giants” is “irresponsible.”

“Our hiring process and, most certainly, our consideration of Mr. Flores was serious and genuine,” the statement reads. “We are disappointed to learn that Mr. Flores was under the mistaken impression the job had already been awarded.”

The allegation in the lawsuit that may be taken most seriously by the NFL in its investigations is the accusation levied at Ross, who allegedly told Flores that if he intentionally lost games during the 2019 season to improve the Dolphins’ draft position and therefore the quality of player they would be able to select, he would pay Flores $100,000 for each loss.

“I take great personal exception to these malicious attacks, and the truth must be known,” Ross said in a statement to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. “His allegations are false, malicious and defamatory.”

Ross said the Dolphins will collaborate with the NFL investigation into the claims and that he is “eager to defend my personal integrity, and the integrity and values of the entire Miami Dolphins organization, from these baseless, unfair and disparaging claims.”

Since the introduction of the Rooney Rule in 2003, 27 of 127 head coaching vacancies have been filled by minorities, a rate of about 21 percent in a league that is over 70 percent non-white, according to The Associated Press.