The Miami Dolphins have no guarantees as it relates to what will happen with Champ Kelly, Mike McDaniel, and even Tua Tagovailoa after the season. The interim GM, however, is giving players something to think about.
Kelly met with the media for the first time since becoming the Dolphins' interim manager. Miami was set to play the Commanders in Madrid, and it turned into Kelly's second victory in his new position.
What makes him stand out is that, like the players, there is no guaranteed future, and he is making that clear.
Dolphins' Champ Kelly makes it clear he is in the same boat as the players he is now in charge of
Kelly said that he was given no promises by Stephen Ross that he would earn the job full-time after the season. His future with the Dolphins, just like the players, will be predicated on how the rest of the season unfolds.
"Everyone is under evaluation at this point. Myself included. This is a unique situation I’m in as an interim because I can truly go to a player and say ‘Bro, we’re in the same spot."Champ Kelly via Omar Kelly
Kelly isn't wrong here. Unlike Grier, the players who are fighting for a roster spot or a new contract following the 2025 season are spending the rest of this year auditioning. Kelly needs them to step up and continue buying into what Mike McDaniel is selling while also working to get better themselves.
It is indeed a unique situation. Kelly went on to say, "If I can meet them with that commonality, that vulnerability, you build trust."
Kelly has a long way to go before he has the players' trust, but he also needs to know they are playing as much for themselves as he is working to keep his job beyond the final weeks of the season. They may all be somewhat contingent on each other's success, but in the end, it's about winning or, at the very least, improving.