MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — For the first time in a quarter century, Chris Grier is no longer a member of the Miami Dolphins.
Team owner Stephen Ross announced the decision Friday to mutually part ways with the longtime general manager midway through his 10th season in the role — roughly 12 hours after the Dolphins’ 28-6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens at Hard Rock Stadium dropped their record to 2-7.
Just two years ago, at the very same stadium, the Dolphins looked like the NFL’s next power when they hung 70 points on the Denver Broncos. But a series of injuries, asset mismanagement and embarrassing on-field results followed.
Four days out from the NFL trade deadline, Miami is at a critical juncture in what could be another rebuild in South Florida. Will the team hang on to its core players in hopes that the roster is just a few tweaks away from returning to its 2023 form? Or will interim general manager Champ Kelly, who joined the team in March and has no previous attachment to most of the roster, start accumulating draft capital and clearing salary cap space?
Also, what does this mean for coach Mike McDaniel, who has answered questions about his job security for the better part of the past month-and-a-half? And is the end near for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa?
ESPN NFL Nation Dolphins reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques, senior NFL insider Dan Graziano and senior NFL draft analyst Matt Miller weigh in on what lies ahead for this Miami team:
For a couple reasons, the first of which being Ross’s realization that the Dolphins’ most prevalent issue was their roster construction, not their coaching. Greer oversaw two massive projects starting in 2019, which saw the Dolphins strip their roster down and stockpile draft picks. He ultimately used some of those picks to acquire high-end veteran players such as wideout Tyreek Hill, defensive back Jalen Ramsey and defensive end Bradley Chubb. Miami also handed out several massive contracts over the past three years at the cost of losing some homegrown talent such as safety Jevon Holland, linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins; not only does the franchise not have a playoff victory to show for it, but now it appears to be in the same position as when the rebuild began.
The team has not quit on McDaniel, however, and Ross still believes in the coach he hired in 2022 and extended last year. He values collaboration and communication within his organization, so it’s not outside the realm of possibility for any new general manager to be asked to work with McDaniel — but ultimately whoever is hired can’t be blamed if they want to hire their own coach. — Louis-Jacques
Beyond the team’s record, Ross just witnessed his Dolphins lose a game at home by three scores in which the visiting team’s fans were such a large presence that Tagovailoa blamed them for a false start penalty early in the first quarter. Add that to Miami’s blowout loss to the Browns two weeks ago and something had to change.
The timing of Ross’ decision can’t be ignored though, with four days until the NFL’s trade deadline on Nov. 4. Grier was unwilling to trade some of Miami’s more attractive trade targets, but as Ross said in the statement he released Friday morning, he wanted to get the ball rolling to improve the team ASAP. Ultimately, it was Grier’s responsibility to put a winning team together. And after what he described as a financial reset this past offseason, there simply isn’t enough talent and depth on this roster to compete. Grier leaves as the longest-tenured GM not to have a playoff win.
With the trade deadline looming, conventional wisdom suggests the Dolphins are ready to punt on this season and get started on yet another rebuild. — Louis-Jacques
Sources have told ESPN that Ross is a patient owner who believes in process over results — to an extent. If the Dolphins continue to show fight throughout the season and Ross sees a consistent effort to improve, McDaniel should be safe.
Tagovailoa’s future with the Dolphins is uncertain, even after signing a four-year $212.1 million extension last offseason. His dead cap hit essentially makes him untradable until 2027. His play has fallen behind the upper tier of AFC quarterbacks, and perhaps most damning of all, the Dolphins are trending toward a top pick in the 2026 NFL draft (No. 6 overall, according to FPI).
If Miami is in position to take a top quarterback in the draft, a new general manager again can’t be faulted for doing exactly that.
There are things Tagovailoa does at a high level; he’s an accurate passer and there are few quarterbacks better than him when he’s able to make quick decisions with the ball. But in the modern NFL, quarterbacks are expected to make plays with their arm and legs, and considering his injury history, Tagovailoa is not a mobile threat. — Louis-Jacques
That is the question right now. Firing your GM four days before the trade deadline definitely signals something, and the best theory I’ve heard so far from the quick, around-the-league reactions I’m getting, is that Dolphins ownership wants to deal away players and can give the interim GM a mandate to do that (since he isn’t the one who drafted or traded for them, etc.) That could mean it’s more likely that some of the Dolphins players who’ve been mentioned in trade deadline chatter — such as Chubb, fellow edge rushers Jaelan Phillips and Matt Judon, running back Jaylen Wright, and linebacker Jordyn Brooks — get moved for the picks the Dolphins will want to use to jump-start their rebuild next offseason.
The Thursday night game in Week 9 gives the Dolphins a little bit of a head start on Tuesday’s deadline, and teams are going to be calling plenty in the next couple of days to gauge whether this move means the Dolphins are more likely to be open for business than Grier might have wanted them to be at this time. — Graziano
The first priority for the Dolphins, who FPI projects to have the No. 6 overall pick, is figuring out their quarterback of the future. Tagovailoa has not played up to the level of his contract or his draft status as a 2020 top-five pick. The next general manager will have to evaluate the 2026 draft class and determine if players such as Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza or potentially Oregon’s Dante Moore are better fits for the team long term.
After QB, this is a team that still has to figure out a lot. Despite spending big in previous drafts and free agency on the position, the team’s front four on defense need help. Local prospect Rueben Bain Jr. from the University of Miami is playing like a top-five pick and is a complete prospect at defensive end. He would be an instant playmaker for a defense that badly needs someone who opposing offenses have to scheme around. — Miller