It's no secret that the Miami Dolphins are projected to struggle in 2026. New general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has had his work cut out for him since entering the fray, mostly having to deal with a less-than-ideal cap situation.
Sullivan and the front office got some breathing room on that front earlier in the week when an additional $20 million became available to the Dolphins on June 1. Miami's GM knows he has an uphill battle to climb still, though, and it's primarily because of the Dolphins' former general manager, Chris Grier.
But while Sullivan is left to clean up Grier's mess in Miami, the latter is getting a fresh start elsewhere, as it was announced that the Detroit Lions are hiring Grier to be a personnel executive.
Lions hire former Miami Dolphins GM Chris Grier as personnel executive
You don't need to dig deep into the comments section of NFL insider Adam Schefter's tweet to know that the move for Detroit is not a favorable one. Most of them are from Dolphins fans, but it is somewhat of a surprise to see Grier land with a new team so soon after fumbling things for years in Miami.
At 56 years old, Grier has been involved in the NFL for over 30 years. After spending a few years as an intern and scout for the New England Patriots, Grier joined the Dolphins in 2000 as an area scout. He climbed the ladder in Miami and eventually became the team's general manager in 2016.
Grier did make moves like trading for star wide receiver Tyreek Hill and cornerback Jalen Ramsey, as well as signing elite offensive tackle Terron Armstead, that ultimately put Miami in the contender conversation. The former Dolphins GM also drafted star players like Xavien Howard and Jaelan Phillips, but Grier missed more than he hit when it came to the NFL Draft.
Notably, one of Grier's worst drafts was the 2020 draft, when the Dolphins had three first-round picks at their disposal. To the delight of much of the fan base at the time (myself included), Grier took quarterback Tua Tagovailoa at No. 5 overall. Yet, fast forward a few years, and it's clear that Justin Herbert would have been the better selection, whom the Los Angeles Chargers took one pick later.
In that same draft, Grier also reached on cornerback Noah Igbinoghene and took OT Austin Jackson to help protect Tua. Of the three, Jackson is the only one remaining on the team, and his time in Miami is limited.
What was even more irking to Dolphins fans was Grier's desire to bring in injury-plagued players at essentially discounted prices. Grier believed that he could bring in these players in hopes of them becoming what they once were as soon as they became healthy again. That experiment failed on numerous occasions and essentially bloated Miami's cap space to what it is today. It also led to the Dolphins being completely banged up at the end of most seasons and looking to fill spots, making winning in the postseason improbable.
At the forefront of Grier's failures as the Dolphins' GM is the lack of playoff wins. Whether attempting to build through the draft or use draft capital to trade for established players, Grier's moves never resulted in the Dolphins getting past the Wild Card round. As a result, Miami's playoff-win drought continues to stand at 25+ years and counting.
What exactly Grier will be in charge of in Detroit remains to be seen, as personnel executive can be a bit vague and vary from team to team. Ironically, one of Grier's first tasks as the Dolphins' GM in 2016 was to interview Dan Campbell for the team's head coaching job. Campbell had been with the Dolphins at that time since 2010, serving as the tight ends coach in 2015 when head coach Joe Philbin was fired after a 1-3 start. Campbell was then promoted as the interim coach and had a legitimate shot at earning the job permanently after finishing with a 5-7 record in the final 12 games.
Grier and the Dolphins' front office ultimately went with Adam Gase, though, as Miami's next head coach. That decision ultimately failed and should have been a sign of things to come under Grier's tenure. Campbell, meanwhile, was hired as the Lions' head coach in 2021 after spending a few seasons with the Saints. Once a laughingstock of the NFL, Campbell has now turned the Lions into one of the league's top contenders.
Detroit has still yet to reach a Super Bowl, but they've been close under Campbell. Hopefully, with Grier in the building, things don't start turning south for the NFC North contenders. It's a bit of a surprise to see Grier land elsewhere so soon, and a bit ironic that he's connecting with Campbell again, but so long as the former Dolphins GM isn't making any operational decisions, the Lions should be fine.
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