Miami Dolphins: Jimmy Johnson regrets not trading for Peyton Manning

The Miami Dolphins have done their fair share of looking back with regret and now it’s Jimmy Johnson and his inability to land Peyton Manning.

It’s rare that a Hall of Fame-quality player is available, but for the Miami Dolphins, it seems the team could have had two opportunities to land one recent inductee.

The Miami Dolphins have been searching for a legitimate franchise quarterback since Dan Marino hung up his cleats after the 1999 season, with Tua Tagovailoa the latest to attempt to live up to #13’s stature.

The closest the team has come to having a firm, long-term answer at the position was during Ryan Tannehill‘s tenure from 2012 – 2018.

Unfortunately, the team on the field as well as off of it were never enough to get RT17 to perform at the level he has since joining the Tennessee Titans in 2019.

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The Dolphins have previously attempted to land a quarterback of real quality, with Super Bowl-winning pedigree and a resume that would have had him land in the Hall of Fame even if he hadn’t gone on to break further records and add to his ring collection.

In 2012, former first-overall pick and Indianapolis Colts legend Peyton Manning was on the open market after the team decided to move forward without Manning – primarily after he had missed the previous season due to his rehabilitation from neck surgery.

Manning reportedly met with the Dolphins in March 2012, but ultimately ended up playing with the Denver Broncos until 2015 – winning Super Bowl 50 two years after a difficult Super Bowl XLVIII.

Landing the elder Manning brother in 2012 would have been franchise-altering for the Miami Dolphins, who ultimately moved forward with Tannehill as their starter immediately after drafting him eighth overall that year.

But things reportedly could have been even different from the franchise had they pulled off a trade all the way back in 1998 – at least according to then-head coach Jimmy Johnson.

Johnson, who was named to the Hall of Fame as part of the same class as Manning this year, spoke on The Dan Le Batard Show (via CBS Sports) and revealed that the Dolphins had the chance to make a trade with the Colts that would have seen them land the first overall pick that year and land Manning.

Johnson, who revealed very little about the opportunity, did suggest that it would have cost the team their entire draft class that year (one that saw them take Patrick Surtain in the second round).

"Jimmy Johnson probably does regret not trading up for Manning and truth be told, he probably should have regardless of the draft compensation. Aside from Patrick Surtain, which didn’t come with one of his own original picks, Johnson drafted Avery, Mixon, Brad Jackson, Larry Shannon, Lorenzo Bromell, Scott Shaw, and three others in 1998. In 1999, it was J.J. Johnson, Rob Konrad, Grey Ruegamer, Cecil Collins, Brent Bartholomew, Jermaine Haley, and Joe Wong. Two full drafts would have been worth Manning – Brian Miller on Johnson’s comments"

The chance to select a legitimate heir apparent to Marino two years before his retirement would have had a significant impact on the team’s fortunes, with the team never coming close to finding a player of Manning’s ability through the draft – with a decision to not make a move for Drew Brees another of the team’s opportunities to take a future Hall of Famer by other means.

With Manning at the helm, the Dolphins could rest comfortably knowing they were set at the most important position and could have focused on building a team to compliment his talents – rather than spending early-to-mid draft picks and free-agent signings on other options that never truly panned out (Daunte Culpepper, Trent Green, Cleo Lemon, and Chad Henne to name a few).

With a stud in Ricky Williams playing in the backfield behind Manning, it would have made the Dolphins a far deadlier threat in the NFL and potentially could have extended the running back’s career after he was run into the ground while Jay Fielder was under center.

Having two opportunities to land a player that is a first-ballot Hall of Famer is an extremely rare occurrence in any sport, yet it seems that the Miami Dolphins have experienced that misfortune with Peyton Manning.