The Miami Dolphins, once again, will be watching the Super Bowl in the same way they have watched the second and third rounds of the playoffs for the last two decades. On their couches at home, like the rest of us.
Jon-Eric Sullivan will be watching as well, so will Jeff Hafley, but unlike fans and owner Stephen Ross, he has ties to the two general managers whose teams are in the big game.
Eliot Wolf and John Schneider are the GMs for the Seahawks and Patriots, respectively; both are former Packers and came from the same tree as Sullivan. Ron Wolf and Ted Thompson are two of the most respected former NFL GMs.
Jon-Eric Sullivan doesn't have to look far for a Miami Dolphins winning blueprint
What fans witnessed this year with the rise of the Patriots again has been disheartening. It was only in 2019 that Miami went through a complete rebuild that ultimately failed before it ever actually got rebuilt. Now, Sullivan is promising a change that fans are no longer believing can actually happen.
The Seahawks turned it around, and the Patriots did so after spending three years mired in competition with the Jets for the worst team in the AFC East. Now, a year after firing their head coach, they are back in the Super Bowl.
Miami's "rebuild" this time around is not going to give fans a Super Bowl team in 2026 or even 2027, but the groundwork for what could actually amount to positive change has been laid in Sullivan and Hafley. The proof that it works will be on display Sunday night.
It's a small amount of hope, but hope nonetheless. It has become clear that most of Miami's issues were with Ross's affection for Chris Grier. His inability to manage the cap, develop players, and a constant turnover at head coach have led Miami nowhere.
Sullivan may not succeed in South Florida, but if he fails, it won't be because of his lineage. Miami's first-time GM is bringing experience and education with him. He believes he knows what it takes to build a team, and Ross has assured him he won't be denied the resources to make it happen.
How quickly this turns around will depend on how soon Sullivan can fix the quarterback position and get the salary cap under control. Then it will depend on Hafley's ability to coach and develop the players provided.
Regardless, Dolphins fans can take solace in knowing that the guy responsible for getting this done is from the same tree as the two Super Bowl GMs. That isn't something that has happened in Miami for a long time. Will it work? We can only hope.