Former Dolphins long snapper Taybor Pepper weighs in on Miami’s ‘tanking’ scandal of 2019

<div> <figure> <img alt="NFL: Houston Texans at San Francisco 49ers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GqfcLI8y1Ospuh-bM69sBceKtwc=/0x0:6729x4486/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70465476/usa_today_17465097.0.jpg"> <figcaption>Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption> </figure> <p id="AOIIvb">It’s no secret that the <a href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Miami Dolphins</a> were actively trying to lose games in 2019, in hopes of landing the #1 pick in the 2020 <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft">NFL Draft</a>. That much was obvious in 2019, and it’s still obvious now. </p> <p id="Y35Sll">However, recent reports have suggested that Miami’s tanking operation was much more explicit than we previously believed, and that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross was at the head of it all. </p> <div id="B6PeMv"> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p lang="en" dir="ltr">As I mention at end, I spoke with a witness who said he heard Steve Ross offer Brian Flores 100K for every 2019 loss. <br><br>Flores’ team says they have corroborating evidence including messages from GM Chris Grier. IF proven, integrity of game in Q. Dolphins denied the allegations. <a href="https://t.co/KnIPjHMhjb">https://t.co/KnIPjHMhjb</a></p>— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) <a href="https://twitter.com/CameronWolfe/status/1488982322690985985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2022</a> </blockquote> </div> <p id="5vjd1s">Some ex-Miami players have expressed their discontent over not only ownership actively trying to lose games, but also that fact that it happened right under the players’ noses.</p> <p id="s03aVr">One of these players is Taybor Pepper, current long-snapper of the <a href="https://www.ninersnation.com/">San Francisco 49ers</a>. Pepper spent the entirety of the 2019 season with the Dolphins, appearing in all 16 games for Miami.</p> <div id="QWzP0s"> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p lang="en" dir="ltr">I’ve been quiet about my experience in Miami and still probably won’t go into details until my football career is over. Knowing that my EMPLOYER was actively trying to sabotage the season, again, makes me sick to my stomach. WHERE IS/WAS THE INTEGRITY.</p>— Taybor Pepper (@TayborSnapping) <a href="https://twitter.com/TayborSnapping/status/1489080420444614656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2022</a> </blockquote> </div> <p id="XctYOv">Pepper continued his tirade and negative feelings towards the Dolphins in a few follow-up tweets, calling his time in Miami “miserable”, and that he “wouldn’t wish that experience on my worst enemy.” He also stated that he “wasn’t a fan of Flores either” and that this wasn’t him necessarily taking a side.</p> <p id="Tj09ga">I’d say it’s shocking news, but is it really? The Dolphins have been a complete mess from top-to-bottom since Stephen Ross bought the team in 2008, and stories like this don’t seem too farfetched these days. Pepper is obviously right, in that it’s a matter of integrity and honor. It’s a slap in the face to the players, coaching staff, and even opposing teams to do what Miami did, and it’s inexcusable behavior from Ross. These are tough times for Miami, and stories like this from ex-players certainly don’t help. </p> <p id="9AnGa2"></p> </div>