Chris Grier's thumbprint is all over the Miami Dolphins roster, and that isn't going to change soon. From bloated salary cap problems to a roster built with one-year contracts, the Dolphins are looking at a rough 2026 offseason.
Grier may not be around to deal with his mistakes, but his eventual replacement will need to start sifting through them with the hopes of finding solutions. One of those players is Willie Gay Jr.
Gay has not made the impact on the Dolphins' defense that fans expected; it isn't his fault. Signed to be a contributing pass rusher and to provide depth at linebacker, Gay's future with the Dolphins will end in a couple of weeks.
Willie Gay Jr.'s time with the Miami Dolphins will likely be over now that the season is over
Fans have been disappointed this year with how the outside linebacker has been used because he hasn't been used at all. When he is on the field, there have been good moments, but they are so few and far between that fans have been left wondering why he was added at all.
When he was added, even Tyreek Hill was thrilled getting his former Chiefs' teammate on the roster.
Gay has to be frustrated, but if he is, he isn't talking about it publicly. After spending his first four seasons with the Chiefs and last year with the Saints, his production has dropped considerably due to his time on the field.
This year, he has taken just 86 defensive snaps. That is good enough for 9% of the total snaps of the defense. It shows, obviously, in his stats. In his Chiefs days, he blitzed 115 times. That dropped 14 last year, and this year he has done so only 8 times. Of those 8, two have resulted in sacks.
Clearly, his tackles will have dropped as well, and with the Dolphins, he has only 14 combined. The question is, why isn't he being used more? Part of the issue is the play of Tyrel Dodson and Bradley Chubb, but it still doesn't make sense to get him more involved.
It's hard to imagine Gay wanting to return to Miami next season. Grier may have been the guy who signed him as a free agent, but defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver is the one calling the shots, and Gay isn't getting enough.
When free agency begins in March, Gay isn't going to be a tier one FA, but he will draw considerable interest around the league. In Miami, his limited reps were all positive, and that will be enough for teams to look at the snap counts and wonder why he wasn't used more often.
There is talent that hasn't been utilized for what reason we may never know, but his time in Miami is likely coming to an end. Frankly, they should have released him so he would have a shot at landing with a playoff team.