The writing on the wall in South Florida − some of it, anyway − became official Friday morning.
The Miami Dolphins and general manager Chris Grier, who had worked for the team for more than a quarter of a century, have decided to mutually go their separate ways.
“As I assessed the state of the team and in my discussions with Chris, it became clear to both of us that change could not wait,’ owner Stephen Ross said in a statement distributed by the team.
‘We must improve − in 2025, 2026 and beyond − and it needs to start right now. Champ Kelly will serve as interim general manager effective immediately, and we will begin our search process for a new general manager. I want to thank Champ for stepping up and his commitment to the Dolphins success this season. There is a lot of football left to play and we all need to fight even harder.
“I have always been and remain committed to building a winning team that consistently competes for championships. I am incredibly proud of our leadership as an NFL organization and our continued commitment to the community, but our performance on the field and our team-building process have not been good enough. There are no excuses. I want to thank the fans for their continued support and passion for this team. You deserve a championship-caliber team you can be proud of. There’s much work ahead to return the Dolphins to sustained success, and that work begins now, finishing the season strong, evaluating all areas of our football operation, and moving forward with a clear vision for the future.”
The final straw clearly occurred Thursday night, when the Dolphins lost 28-6 to the Baltimore Ravens in a nationally broadcast game. Miami fans vocally expressed their displeasure with the team and many could be seen leaving Hard Rock Stadium early in the fourth quarter.
Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel, who remains employed, have been under the microscope for months and more. However, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, McDaniel will remain in his role through the end of the season.
Ross gave Grier and McDaniel a vote of confidence in January in the aftermath of Miami’s disappointing 2024 campaign, which ended with an 8-9 record and shy of playoff qualification for the first time since McDaniel was hired in 2022. The Dolphins have not won in postseason since the 2000 season, the longest active drought in the league.
“(C)ontinuity in leadership is not to be confused with an acceptance that status quo is good enough,’ Ross said after the 2024 season. ‘We will take a hard look at where we have fallen short and make the necessary changes to deliver our ultimate goal of building and sustaining a winning team that competes for championships.”
The Dolphins almost certainly won’t do that in 2025, their 2-7 record dropping them to 14th place overall in the AFC.
Grier was hired by the team as a scout in 2000. He worked his way up to the general manager’s seat in 2016. The team went 77-82, playoffs included, during his tenure. More recently, he and McDaniel had built a team that was often exciting in recent years, headlined by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wideout Tyreek Hill, linchpins of an offense that was often explosive. However Miami consistently struggled to beat good teams or win games, especially late in the season, staged in colder weather away from the temperate confines of Miami Gardens.
Grier’s trades for high-profile players like Jalen Ramsey and Bradley Chubb have yielded limited returns while stripping him of draft capital. Even the deal for Hill, who will miss the rest of this season with a knee injury and seems likely to be released next year, ultimately hasn’t pushed the team much closer to its first Super Bowl appearance in 40 years. Tagovailoa’s health and consistency have also been significant issues, though didn’t stop Grier from signing him to a four-year, $212 million extension last year − and the structure of that pact will effectively time to the organization through at least the 2026 season.
The culture around the franchise has also been a major issue of late. Hill, a team captain at the time, infamously quit on the club during last season’s regular-season finale against the Jets in New York, where the Dolphins were routed with a playoff berth potentially at stake. Tagovailoa openly spoke of Hill needing to regain his teammates’ trust during training camp and more recently questioned the accountability of other players amid the 2025 club’s spiral.
Grier, 55, is the brother of Mike Grier, currently the GM of the San Jose Sharks and the first Black man to hold such a role in the NHL.