The Miami Dolphins accelerated their transition into a franchise reboot when they fired longtime GM Chris Grier on Friday. In the wake of Thursday's 28-6 loss to the Ravens in prime time, apparently owner Stephen Ross felt like somebody had to answer for it.
While Mike McDaniel's future as head coach remains up in the air beyond this season, Grier's exit plays into McDaniel's somewhat now-infamous "I wish it were colder" philosophy.
That is to say, bring on the adversity. It's an opportunity for growth. Or as Yoda says to Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi, "The greatest teacher, failure is." Although I imagine McDaniel would probably take a few more wins to this point for purposes of his own job security.
OK let's not get too far afield. Chris Grier is done. interim GM Champ Kelly already traded past Grier first-round pick Jaelan Phillips to the Eagles for a third-round pick. The Dolphins can turn the page and jump-start their rebuild in the aftermath thanks to a few key, prospective macro-developments.
Chris Grier's ouster means no more loyalty to Tua Tagovailoa
Miami's belief in Tua Tagovailoa as a franchise quarterback seemed unanimous between Grier and McDaniel. They even rewarded Tua with a big contract after he'd suffered multiple concussions.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported recently that the relationship between Tua and McDaniel "needs work." They were among the most exciting QB-coach pairings toward the beginning of McDaniel's tenure. Now, the losses have piled up, Tua is handsomely compensated, and isn't holding up his end of that bargain.
To me, the Dolphins' success under McDaniel was always about the coach elevating Tua and masking his limitations. Grier was the one who pulled the trigger on drafting Tua fifth overall — one pick before the Chargers landed superstar QB Justin Herbert.
Perhaps no "what if?" scenario has been pondered more by the Dolphins faithful than the alternate universe where Herbert is their guy. A McDaniel offense with Herbert under center and Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle on the perimeter? Hooh. Even more fireworks than Peak Tua!
So now that Grier is gone, one of the quickest ways McDaniel could buy himself some time is to recommend Tua be traded. Harsh reality of the business side of the NFL.
Imagine a new GM being hyped about the Dolphins' opening if Tua is the QB moving forward. Just kidding. You can't imagine it. Not at this particular moment. There are a variety of appealing QB options to replace him.
It's not like Tua is terrible. In the right system, perhaps for another warm-weather or dome-home team, he could flourish with a strong supporting cast. Just looks like Miami may not be his long-term destination after all.
Tua also has zero guaranteed money on his contract beyond the 2026 season. Trading him before next season would sting in the form of eating dead money, but it's very much on the table.
Dolphins can move on from splashy trades of the Chris Grier era
Speaking of Tyreek, Grier moved Heaven and Earth to get him back in 2022. Those first couple seasons were fruitful. Last year marked a sharp decline for The Cheetah. Then, of course, he suffered a brutal season-ending injury in Week 4.
If there was any chance of Tyreek sticking around after the 2025 campaign, that's probably gone thanks to Grier's exit.
One of the other audacious trades Grier made was for edge defender Bradley Chubb. Unfortunately, his stint was marred by a torn ACL in Week 17 of the 2023 season, right as the Dolphins were jockeying for playoff positioning. He missed all of last year because of it, which is when things really started to go south.
Might be a bit of salt in the wound for the Phin Phanatic readership, and I apologize if this gets me into your bad graces, but the first-round pick from the Chubb trade helped the Broncos swing a deal with New Orleans for the rights to head coach Sean Payton. There was a time when Miami aggressively courted Payton. Woof.
Anyway, releasing 'Reek and Chubb with post-June 1 designations would save Miami over $56.2 million in 2026 salary cap space.
If Grier had stayed and McDaniel was the initial fall guy, I could see Grier trying to impose his will and run it back next season for one last ride with this veteran core. That's no longer the case, and it opens up all kinds of possibilities for how the Dolphins' next full-time GM builds the roster.
2026 NFL Draft shaping up well for Dolphins’ needs in life after Chris Grier
A bevvy of promising quarterbacks should be entering the 2026 NFL Draft, headlined by Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, Oregon star Dante Moore, and Alabama signal-caller Ty Simpson. Any of them could prove to be an upgrade over Tua Tagovailoa.
No matter what happens to McDaniel, a move off Tua is absolutely on the board as soon as next season. That'd be a great way for Ross to sell McDaniel to the fan base, especially if the team's record is even further below .500 by season's end. The chance for a new prospective GM to put his signature on the organization right away with a shiny new QB would make the vacancy attractive, too.
But putting aside the quarterbacks for a second, Miami should have a pick near the top of the draft no matter what. There are some electrifying prospects at other positions, led by none other than Miami Hurricanes EDGE Rueben Bain Jr., who's PFF's No. 1 player in the class.
Bain to the Dolphins is a strong possibility. They need a spark on defense of some kind. They could lose Chubb as a cap casualty.
Another option is to trade for a current NFL QB, or stick with Tua, and go back to the Hill-Waddle well to form a dynamic wide receiver duo once again.
Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson, USC's Makai Lemon — The Athletic's Dane Brugler recently compared Lemon to Emeka Egbuka — and the latest stud out of Ohio State, Carnell Tate, are all looking like first-rounders who the Dolphins could nab. Should be a fun group to see develop, wherever they all land.
The secondary is another area of desperate need for the Fins. Imagine Ohio State's do-it-all safety Caleb Downs joining the fray alongside Minkah Fitzpatrick, or a lockdown cornerback like LSU's Mansoor Delane (28.8 passer rating allowed in 2025) exploding onto the scene.
Between the flexibility to trade Tua thanks to the lack of guaranteed money remaining on his mega deal, the salary cap freedom that should come with some player cuts that'll be easier to digest sans Grier, and the way the draft should break for Miami near the top, there's a real chance for the Dolphins to turn this thing around way sooner than most would suspect.