Miami Gardens, Florida – For the first time in a quarter century, Chris Grier is no longer a member of miami dolphins,
Team owner Stephen Ross announced the decision to separate by mutual consent on Friday Long in the middle of his 10th season in the general manager role – about 12 hours after the Dolphins’ 28–6 loss Baltimore Ravens Their record at Hard Rock Stadium fell to 2–7.
Exactly two years ago, in the same stadium, the Dolphins looked like the NFL’s next power when they scored 70 points denver broncosBut then a series of injuries, mismanagement of assets and embarrassing results on the field began.
Four days before the NFL trade deadline, Miami is at a turning point in what could be another rebuild in South Florida. Will the team stick to its core players in hopes that the roster is just a few changes away from returning to 2023 form? Or will interim general manager Champ Kelly, who joined the team in March and has no prior attachment to most of the roster, begin accumulating draft capital and clearing salary cap space?
Also, what does this mean for coach Mike McDaniels, who has answered questions about his job security for the past month and a half? And the quarterback’s end is near tua tagovailoa,
ESPN NFL Nation Dolphins reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques, senior NFL insiders Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler, and senior NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller weigh in on what’s next for this Miami team:
Why not McDaniel? Could he leave at the end of the season?
For a few reasons, the first of which was Ross realizing that the Dolphins’ most prevalent issue was their roster construction, not their coaching. Grier oversaw two major projects starting in 2019, with the Dolphins looking to deplete their roster and stockpile draft picks. They eventually used some of those trades to acquire high-end veteran players such as wideout tyreek hilldefensive back Jalen Ramsey and defensive end bradley chubbMiami also gave away several big contracts over the last three years at the cost of losing some homegrown talent such as safety jevon hollandlinebacker Andrew Van Ginkel and defensive tackle Christian WilkinsNot only does the franchise have no playoff wins to show, but it is now in the same position it was in when the rebuild began.
However, the team has not given up on McDaniels, and Ross still has confidence in the coach he hired in 2022 and extended last year. He values collaboration and communication within his organization, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility for any new general manager to be asked to work with McDaniels — but whoever is ultimately hired can’t be blamed if they want to hire their own coach. –Louis-Jacques
Why split with Grier now?
Beyond the team’s record, Ross recently watched his Dolphins lose a game by three scores at home, with the visiting team’s fans in such large attendance that Tagovailoa blamed them for a false start penalty early in the first quarter. Add to this Miami’s blowout loss to the Browns two weeks ago and something has to change.
However, the timing of Ross’ decision cannot be ignored, with four days remaining until the NFL trade deadline on November 4. Grier wasn’t willing to trade away some of Miami’s more lucrative trade targets, but as Ross said in a statement released Friday morning, he wanted to move Ball to improve the team as quickly as possible. Ultimately, it was Grier’s responsibility to put together a winning team. And after what he described last offseason as a financial reset, this roster doesn’t have enough talent and depth to compete. Grier becomes the longest-tenured GM to go winless in the playoffs.
With the trade deadline approaching, conventional wisdom suggests the Dolphins are ready to gamble this season and begin another rebuild. –Louis-Jacques
What do the Dolphins want to see from McDaniels for the remainder of the season, and what does Tua’s future hold in Miami?
Sources have told ESPN that Ross is a patient owner who believes in process more than results to a degree. If the Dolphins continue to show fight throughout the season and Ross sees a continued effort to improve, McDaniels should be safe.
Even after signing a four-year, $212.1 million extension last season, Tagovailoa’s future with the Dolphins remains uncertain. His dead cap hit essentially makes him unavailable until 2027. His play has lagged behind the upper tier of AFC quarterbacks, and perhaps most damagingly, the Dolphins are headed to the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft (No. 6 overall, according to FPI).
If Miami is in a position to take the top quarterback in the draft, a new general manager can’t be blamed for doing it again.
There are a few things that Tagovailoa does at a high level; He is an accurate passer and there are few quarterbacks better than him at being able to make quick decisions with the ball. But in the modern NFL, quarterbacks are expected to make plays with their arms and legs, and given his injury history, Tagovailoa is not a mobile threat. –Louis-Jacques
What do we know about Kelly? Is there an obvious replacement for Grier right now, and how attractive is the job for a potential GM?
Kelly has worked in NFL front offices for nearly two decades, starting as a college scout with Denver in 2007. He didn’t stay in Miami long – Grier hired him this offseason after Kelly and the Raiders parted ways. Kelly was the interim general manager of Las Vegas in 2023, so he brings experience to a unique position.
A clear replacement for Grier will only become clear once the Dolphins make a decision on McDaniel’s future, which will expire after the 2025 season. If the Dolphins decide to retain McDaniels – which shouldn’t happen Completely Given his close relationship with Tagovailoa — who is owed $54 million guaranteed in 2026 — then Miami could take a broader look at football operations, but it would have to hire with McDaniels and Tagovailoa in mind. But this is a very big thing. In fact, everyone I’ve talked to around the league — including some from Miami — was at least mildly surprised that McDaniels wasn’t among those going Friday. But either way, Miami would be smart to identify a system that promotes long-term stability, and plenty of blueprints fit around the league, from Kansas City to Philadelphia and many in between.
The job is a bit lucrative. The South Florida location is a plus, as is the lifestyle and ease with which GMs can recruit free agents. Miami is an NFL hub. There are interesting pieces on the roster, but the majority of those players are offensive players. It looks like the defense is in need of a full-scale rebuild. This is a team that is financially solvent and has zero playoff wins to show for it, suggesting a roster reset in 2025 isn’t going to work. — Fowler
What does this mean for the upcoming trade deadline?
he is Ask a question now. Firing their GM four days before the trade deadline certainly signals something, and the best theory I’ve heard so far from quick, reactions around the league is that Dolphins ownership wants to trade players away and may order the interim GM to do so (since he’s not the one who drafted or traded for them, etc.) This could mean it’s more likely that some of the Dolphins players whose trade time is gone. Mentioned in range – like Chubb, fellow edge rushers jalen phillips And Matt Judon, running back jaylen wrightand linebacker Jordan Brooks – Get inspired by the picks the Dolphins will look to use to begin their rebuild next season.
The Thursday night game in Week 9 gives the Dolphins a slight edge at Tuesday’s deadline, and teams will be making plenty of calls over the next few days to see if this move means the Dolphins are more likely to be open for business than Grier would have liked at this point. –Graziano
What will the new GM need to prioritize in the 2026 draft, and who might be the best fit in Round 1?
The first priority for the Dolphins, who are projected by FPI to go No. 6 overall, is to find their quarterback of the future. Tagovailoa has not performed commensurate with his contract level or draft status as a 2020 top-five selection. The next general manager will need to evaluate the 2026 draft class and determine if the players Indiana likes Fernando Mendoza Or possibly Oregon’s dante moore Are a better fit for the team for the long term.
After QB, this is a team that still has a lot to figure out. Despite spending big in the last draft and free agency at the position, the team’s front four needs help on defense. local possibility reuben ben jrIs playing like a top five pick out of the University of Miami and is a complete prospect at defensive end. He will be a quick play-maker for a defense that desperately needs someone who can scheme for opposing offenses. –Miller
