Author: Ely Allen

JANUARY 2: While Shore will play a major role in the Dolphins’ GM search, but ownership will be “leading the search,” per Jackson. That will leave the team’s final decision up to Ross, and he may very well be steering the process based on his perceptions about current candidates.

JANUARY 1: The Dolphins parted ways with former general manager Chris Grier back on Halloween and seem to have kept their attention on finishing out this season. Senior personnel executive Champ Kelly has been relied on as the interim general manager since then, reprising a role he also played in Las Vegas. While we’ve heard that there’s already plenty of interest in the job, at the moment, the only person known to be a candidate is Kelly.

While résumés are probably being collected and names evaluated, there have been no reports before today that showed the search was underway. To that effort, according to a breaking report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Hall of Fame quarterback and current ESPN analyst Troy Aikman has been hired by Dolphins team owner Stephen Ross to consult on the search for their new general manager. The three-time Super Bowl champion will not have to relinquish his ESPN contract, though, as the advising role is a temporary one only meant to last through the process of the search.

Several networks contributed to this report. Shortly after Schefter broke the seal, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated added that Aikman has already been active in the role, making “calls around the league to research candidates” and discussing “strategy with Miami ownership.” Tom Pelissero of NFL Network chimed in, as well, clarifying that Aikman “is not considered a candidate for the job” despite having “mused in the past about becoming a GM himself.” Adding to the responsibilities listed by Breer, Pelissero mentioned that Aikman “is doing background work ahead of interviews next week.” Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald also contributed, adding that Aikman will also “sit in on interviews” and “discuss candidates with Ross.”

Grier had been with the Dolphins since 2000, when he started as a scout and worked his way up to assistant director of college scouting in 2003, director of college scouting in 2007, and general manager in 2016. Having a mind that’s been in the building since 2000 running the personnel show since 2016, Ross thought it was important to gain some outside perspective. With Grier being an interior hire, the team has not “run a full GM search since they hired Dennis Hickey in 2014,” according to Pelissero. Per Schefter, Aikman’s time as an NFL player and broadcaster over the past 37 years equipped him with the respected perspective and strong relationships across the league that Miami was looking for in the consulting position.

The idea of getting outside help is certainly not a foreign one. Two years ago, the Commanders utilized former Golden State Warriors executive Bob Myers in their coaching and GM searches; though, unlike Aikman, Myers stayed with the team after the searches were complete. Last year, Jets owner Woody Johnson employed former Dolphins executives Mike Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman in New York’s coaching and GM searches. We’ve also seen teams utilize consulting firms for searches.

The process of hiring Aikman has seemingly been underway for weeks, even before he called the Dolphins’ game against the Steelers three weeks ago, per Jackson. In his commentary for that contest, Aikman was complimentary of head coach Mike McDaniel‘s playcalling, though he questioned the offense’s fourth-quarter pace. Per Jackson, these comments don’t have any effect on McDaniel’s future, as Aikman’s consulting role is limited strictly to the general manager role. Jackson added that Ross still has faith in McDaniel and that it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the head coach return in 2026 with the new GM, but no final decision has been made.

Per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe, Ross is looking for reasons to keep McDaniel as he weathers the end of the season without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Ownership wants to see McDaniel reidentify himself and his offense outside of Tagovailoa, who may still be on the roster next year, though the team will explore trading him to relieve themselves of the guaranteed money he’s tied to. Regardless, a new quarterback is expected to at least be competing with Tagovailoa for the starting job next year, and Ross wants to know McDaniel can establish success without him, if necessary.

For the general manager search, per Breer, the Dolphins have already done significant homework — Jackson phrased it, “laying the groundwork” — researching candidates since parting ways with Grier and “plan to hit the ground running on their GM search early next week,” after their 2025 season has officially concluded. NFL teams cannot interview candidates currently working in executive roles with other NFL teams until the regular season concludes anyway. Aikman’s services were uniquely attractive due to the relationships he has with his connections around the league due to his weekly Monday Night Football assignments, on which Pelissero says he “can lean on to gather info and shape the search.”

After the drama surrounding Raiders minority owner Tom Brady and his own access through the media, it will be interesting to see if any objections arise about Aikman’s participation in the search. Knowing that he’s been involved with the Dolphins since at least before Week 15, that means he’s worked games involving the Falcons, Colts, Rams, Steelers, and 49ers since then and will also work with the Seahawks and whatever playoff teams participate in the wild card and second-round playoff games Aikman is assigned to. If any interview candidates come from these teams, conflict of interest concerns may arise from Aikman’s work with the franchises as a representative of ESPN.

Jackson did confirm that Kelly is expected to receive an interview, but the team is planning for the search to be a thorough one examining a wide range of candidates. In regard to what the Dolphins are looking for out of a potential GM, Pelissero stresses that their focus is on a strong scouting background. Jackson followed that comment up by underlining how much Miami values senior vice president of football and business administration Brandon Shore, whom they see “as someone skilled with the salary cap and other business-oriented aspects that are critical in a modern-day NFL front office.”

According to Wolfe, Shore is “expected to be the quarterback” of the search. Wolfe claims Shore’s role may become something similar to that of Rams team president Kevin Demoff, allowing him to handle the money while the new GM handles personnel decisions like scouting and the fates of McDaniel and Tagovailoa.

Aikman isn’t the only Hall of Fame passer on the search team. Wolfe mentions that Dolphins special advisor Dan Marino will also be involved in interviews. Aikman’s services were sought in addition to Marino’s because his experience is a bit more league-wide. Though Shore is quarterbacking the search that involves two Hall of Fame quarterbacks, ultimately, the decision on the who the next GM will be comes down to Ross. The search will hit the ground running Monday.