Dolphins Contact John Harbaugh; Troy Aikman Assisting In HC Search
JANUARY 12: The Dolphins are not seen as a frontrunner for Harbaugh at this time, although Jackson reports further contact between the parties will take place. Whether or not Miami winds up as a finalist remains to be seen, but the team is among Harbaugh’s many suitors as things stands.
JANUARY 10: The Dolphins considered a trade for then-Ravens head coach John Harbaugh in 2019. No deal came together, though, and Harbaugh remained in Baltimore for the long haul. Seven years later, the Dolphins are in the market for a head coach again. With Harbaugh a free agent after the Ravens fired him this week, he’s back on Miami’s radar. The Dolphins contacted Harbaugh and informed him of their interest, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Dolphins became the seventh team to reach out to Harbaugh since he lost his job on Tuesday, Albert Breer of SI.com reports. That means every club without a head coach (excluding Baltimore, of course) has contacted Harbaugh. The Cardinals, Falcons, Browns, Raiders, Giants and Titans are also in the market.
The Giants, Dolphins, Titans and Falcons look like the most realistic fits for Harbaugh, Breer observes, but interest in the 63-year-old extends beyond clubs with head coach openings. Harbaugh has heard from “at least nine other teams,” Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes.
Playoff participants such as Buffalo and Green Bay have come up as potential landing spots for Harbaugh. The Packers, however, seem likely to work out a contract extension with Matt LaFleur. That would rule out Harbaugh joining the Pack.
Harbaugh, who will begin interviewing next week, hasn’t booked anything with the Dolphins yet, Jackson reports. Considering the Harbaugh family has a “longtime relationship” with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him wind up as a front-runner for the position. However, a lack of clarity at quarterback could hurt the Dolphins’ cause.
Harbaugh enjoyed remarkable stability under center throughout his 18-year tenure in Baltimore, first with Joe Flacco and then Lamar Jackson. Thanks in large part to an incredible playoff run from Flacco, the Ravens capped off the 2012 season with a Super Bowl victory. The Ravens haven’t won a championship since then, but Jackson has been an elite QB who has twice earned MVP honors since his first full season in 2019.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins and new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan will have to figure out how to proceed with Tua Tagovailoa. While Tagovailoa is open to a fresh start, he’s owed a guaranteed $54MM in 2026. Releasing Tagovailoa would cost the Dolphins a record $99.2 in dead money, though designating him a post-June 1 cut would enable to spread that total over two seasons. Still, it would be a less-than-ideal situation for Harbaugh or anyone else who may replace the ousted Mike McDaniel as the Dolphins’ next sideline leader.
Miami’s head coach hiring will come with input from Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, who will stay on in an advisory role, Jackson relays. The Dolphins first brought the “Monday Night Football” broadcaster in to assist in a GM search that ended with Sullivan’s hiring. The team appreciated Aikman’s “diligence and effort” during the process, per Jackson. The former Cowboy will now have some say over the HC position, though Sullivan and Ross will lead the way.
In the event the Dolphins don’t hire Harbaugh, Jackson identifies Packers coordinators Jeff Hafley (defense) and Adam Stenavich (offense), former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, ex-Packers and Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy and Jaguars D-coordinator Anthony Campanile as names to watch. Sullivan, who spent over two decades in Green Bay, has worked with Hafley, Stenavich and McCarthy. Campanile was Miami’s linebackers coach from 2020-23.
Dolphins To Hire Jon-Eric Sullivan As GM
The Dolphins were known to be nearing a hire for their general manager position. The process of finding Chris Grier‘s replacement is now complete.
Miami is hiring Jon-Eric Sullivan to fill the GM role, as first reported by Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Sullivan was among the four finalists for the position and loomed as a strong candidate to get the nod. Now, his attention will turn to playing a key role in the Dolphins’ head coaching search.
This move represents the first time Sullivan will hold a position outside of Green Bay. The former Packers intern spent more than two decades with the franchise, working his way through the ranks of both the scouting and personnel departments. Sullivan was promoted to VP of player personnel in 2022, and he regularly found himself on the radar of teams seeking a new GM during recent hiring cycles. Troy Aikman (brought in as a consultant for this search) was Sullivan’s top supporter, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.
Now, 2026 will see Sullivan take charge of an NFL team for the first time. He will become a central figure in Miami’s organizational reset. The team fired head coach Mike McDaniel yesterday in a move which came as a surprise to many. The Dolphins’ intent remained to fill the GM position in short order before focusing on the process of finding McDaniel’s replacement. That search will be one of eight around the league.
Owner Stephen Ross will have the final say on a HC hire, but Sullivan – who interviewed virtually with the Dolphins on Tuesday before taking part in an in-person meeting yesterday – will of course be involved as well. Once a move is finalized on that front, the team’s new group of decision-makers will face a number of important roster questions. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa faces an uncertain future, as does receiver Tyreek Hill.
Having spent his entire career to date in Green Bay, Sullivan has clear ties to a pair of 2026 head coaching candidates: Mike McCarthy and Jeff Hafley. The former spent last season out of coaching while the latter is one of several highly-regarded defensive coordinators set to receive HC interest. The possibility of Miami targeting McCarthy and/or Hafley over the coming days will be worth watching closely.
After Grier’s firing, Champ Kelly was handed interim GM duties. He progressed to the final stage of interviews for the full-time gig, but with an outside hire having been made Kelly may soon depart for a new opportunity elsewhere. Chargers assistant GM Chad Alexander and 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams have also become runners-up for the role, so they will turn their attention elsewhere. At this point, the Falcons represent the only other general manager vacancy in the NFL.
Over the course of Grier’s lengthy tenure in Miami’s front office, the team’s drought for playoff wins extended to 25 years and counting. Ending that league-leading mark (along with a two-year run of losing records) will of course be a critical goal for Miami’s new power structure once it is in place. Sullivan is in position to be a leading figure in that regard for years to come.
Dolphins GM Candidates Being Asked About Mike McDaniel Status; John Harbaugh Not In Play?
The Dolphins are conducting a GM search that could determine where they go at head coach. For the time being, Mike McDaniel remains employed as HC — to the point he is being given input on the GM search — but it is not certain he will receive a fifth season.
Miami’s set of GM interviews thus far have seen candidates asked about working with McDaniel, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. But the meetings have also included the search committee asking the candidates about thoughts on replacing the four-year HC and starting fresh. This prospect came up Tuesday as well.
Considering the issues mismatched timelines can cause, it is unsurprising the Dolphins are listening to candidates’ views about working with a coach on the hot seat. More teams as of late have opted to start their GM and HC timeclocks concurrently. But Dolphins ownership is believed to be fond of McDaniel, hence the interesting situation in which he has input on a process that involves his job status.
This is certainly not the smoothest setup, but it is how the Dolphins are proceeding with their first GM search in 10 years. McDaniel still appears to have a better chance to stay than be canned, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano note, indicating the embattled leader still has support in “important parts of the building.”
Chris Grier did not have full roster control until 2019, but the Dolphins promoted him to GM in 2016. Miami has not hired a GM from outside the organization since appointing Dennis Hickey to the post in 2014. This represents uncovered ground for the modern Dolphins, who have brought in Troy Aikman to help with the hire. Aikman’s old coach, Jimmy Johnson, suggested the team speak with the ESPN analyst, Outkick.com’s Armando Salguero notes.
Following a rather publicized Cowboys breakup, Johnson ended up back in Miami coaching the Dolphins from 1996-99. Stephen Ross was not yet the team owner during Johnson’s tenure, but the Hall of Fame coach still clearly has a line to the franchise. Aikman joins Dan Marino and other staffers on the search committee.
Three of the Dolphins’ GM candidates — Josh Williams, Tariq Ahmad, R.J. Gillen — are 49ers staffers who worked with McDaniel previously. Hiring one of them would point to the HC staying on. Hiring one of the other interviewees, however, may lead elsewhere. An interesting possible third door opened Tuesday night, as the Ravens fired John Harbaugh after 18 seasons. Harbaugh is believed to have received interest from at least seven teams, meaning at least one club without a coaching vacancy gauged his interest. Considering McDaniel’s tenuous status, it would stand to reason they would reach out to the new coaching free agent.
This may or may not have occurred. The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports the Dolphins have been in touch with Harbaugh, adding team ownership is believed to have an affinity for the veteran HC. Countering this, however, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson indicates no engagement of any kind has taken place between the Dolphins and Harbaugh.
Considering Harbaugh’s accomplishments, it would be natural to assume the Dolphins would have interest. But the lot of HC-needy teams, most notably the Giants, does as well. Harbaugh has only coached with the Eagles and Ravens since entering the NFL in 1998. He would provide a proven option on a market that largely lacks them. The team that does end up with Harbaugh, though, would seemingly need to be a non-rebuilding operation presently.
Dolphins ownership did move on from Grier due partially to the GM’s interest in conducting a fire sale at the trade deadline, pointing against a rebuild. Then again, the team appears on the verge of dropping Tua Tagovailoa and looking for a new quarterback. That would at least present a key rebuild ingredient, which could make a Harbaugh fit clunky.
Dolphins To Interview Chargers’ Chad Alexander For GM; Mike McDaniel Not Lock To Stay?
An eighth Dolphins GM candidate has emerged. Beyond interim front office boss Champ Kelly and the sextet to receive interview slips Monday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports Chad Alexander is also on the request list.
Alexander, the Chargers’ assistant GM since 2024, was on the GM radar last year. The Jaguars met with him about their vacancy, and the Raiders brought him in twice for meetings.
A Ravens exec for nearly 20 years, Alexander worked under Joe Douglas in New York from 2019-24. The Jets scrapped their Douglas plan months after losing Alexander to the Chargers. Alexander worked with Bolts GM Joe Hortiz for nearly 20 years in Baltimore and has been part of two playoff teams since relocating to Los Angeles.
The Dolphins have sent interview requests to the Packers’ Jon-Eric Sullivan, the Rams’ John McKay, the Eagles’ Alec Halaby and 49ers execs Josh Williams, Tariq Ahmad and R.J. Gillen. While Mike McDaniel worked with Ahmad, Gillen and Williams in San Francisco, he has no history with the other three execs summoned. Some of the candidates have not been informed if McDaniel is staying, according to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. Sullivan is meeting with the team today, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets.
It is worth wondering if all of the candidates are under this impression or if some are; it could just be a matter of only some of the candidates’ understanding of this situation are known at this juncture. It would be odd if the Dolphins hired an exec from the 49ers and fired McDaniel, but were they to reach outside that tree, a move with a fresh GM-HC start would make more sense. Signs have pointed to McDaniel staying for a bit, but if the Dolphins want to hire a GM not keen on working with a coach on the hot seat, it would make sense to reevaluate the situation.
The interviewees for this GM position will have some NFL bigwigs firing questions at them. Hall of Famers Dan Marino and Troy Aikman, recently named a consultant as the Dolphins conduct their first GM search since 2016, are on the committee set to meet with aspiring candidates, Jackson notes. Stephen Ross, team president Tom Garfinkel, senior VP of football administration Brandon Shore and Ross son-in-law Danny Sillman are meeting with the candidates. McDaniel is believed to have input, but it does not appear a lock he is staying for a fifth season.
Dolphins Hire Troy Aikman As Consultant On GM Search
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.
Troy Aikman Interested In Becoming NFL GM
Troy Aikman has proven highly successful in two realms of the NFL world. As a quarterback, he led the Cowboys to three Super Bowl titles before being enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2006. As a broadcaster, he is a member of Fox’s number-one NFL announcing team, pairing with Joe Buck and acting as the network’s lead analyst. With his Fox contract expiring at the end of the season, Aikman hinted to Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News that he might like to add another job title to his NFL résumé — general manager.
“I think it is a challenge that would drive me competitively,” Aikman said of joining a front office. “I think I would be good at it. …But I am not naïve enough to think I could go from the broadcast booth to general manager without plenty of hard work.” Aikman, 48 in November, doesn’t have any experience as a scout, cap manager, or executive, as he joined the broadcasting world directly following his retirement from playing.
If he decides to pursue a general manager position, Aikman could look at the success of John Elway, another Hall of Fame quarterback who, like Aikman, lacked executive experience before taking over as the Broncos GM and leading his team to the Super Bowl. Elway, who added talented individuals like Tom Heckert to assist him in the day-to-day responsibility of managing a team, has generally proven to be a shrewd talent evaluator and personnel man.
On the other end of the spectrum is Dan Marino, who effectively took over as the Dolphins’ GM in 2004, but resigned the position just three weeks later. Many believed that Marino underestimated the difficulty of transitioning from a cushy broadcasting job to the grind of an NFL front office. The ex-Miami quarterback is once again working with the Dolphins, albeit in a non-football operations capacity.
Of course, speculation tying Aikman to the Cowboys’ GM gig would run rampant were he to formally declare his interest in pursuing such a role. Dallas is currently led by owner/general manager Jerry Jones — for years, critics have called for Jones to hire an actual, experienced GM to run the team. Aikman doesn’t have the background of a GM-type, but it would be interesting to see if Jones would consider him for a front office position if he expressed enthusiasm for such a job.