Shockwaves reverberated through the NFL when the Miami Dolphins announced on Friday that effective immediately, they had severed ties with their General Manager, Chris Grier. Grier first came to the organization in 2000 and was tabbed as the general manager in 2016. Like many talented leaders before him, during his tenure he encountered equal parts promise and heartbreak. Under Grier’s watch, the Dolphins succeeded in winning five winning seasons and reaching three playoff appearances. Yet, that talented group still found themselves a victim of a postseason upset.
According to Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and head coach Mike McDaniel, Grier’s performance was underwhelming. After their conversations, they agreed to remove him from his position. After the announcement Kelly will assume the role of interim general manager. As for McDaniel, he’ll be keeping his job for at least the remainder of the regular season.
During Grier’s time as general manager, he faced criticism for the team’s inability to advance in the playoffs, with fans and analysts questioning his personnel decisions. Despite bright spots, among them several winning seasons, the Dolphins never turned any hope into real postseason success.
Just two weeks earlier, McDaniel had made national headlines by denouncing trade rumors for his players as “baseless.” During a Friday morning press conference, he was decidedly more realistic. Contentiously, he admitted that when the ownership and management don’t match up there will be trade talks even if the team is not ready to tank.
“I think the main thing is that, first and foremost, I’m the coach of the team, so I focus on coaching the players,” McDaniel stated. He continued by pointing out that his overriding concern should be for players to know that trade decisions made are not personal.
Further echoing this feeling, McDaniel stated that, regardless of what is happening, communication is key in times of greater difficulty. He noted, “I know those conversations when your record is as such — this is standard, this is how the business works. So those conversations will be had. They’re very layered but always have the best interest in the organization in mind.”
Although there’s been shakeup at the top, several key figures have publicly come to McDaniel’s defense. Their point being that the team certainly hasn’t given up thus far through this troubling season on him. Defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick pointed to concentration as being key for the players. As he put it, “We’re going out there to represent ourselves, our team, and most importantly, our organization. So let’s get out there and show them what we’ve got! Inspire all of the players to perform at peak potential.
As McDaniel navigates this transitional phase for the franchise, he acknowledges that coaching players during turbulent times involves a personal touch. “You just have to explain where it’s coming from and be a human being … a lot of times, people are flying blind. They just hear what they hear,” he elaborated. “So when that occurs, you just have to be very direct and honest, which we’ll always be.”
The Dolphins record now stands at a sad 2-7, leading to speculation about the future direction of the franchise. McDaniel and Kelly are heroic for doing so, but we can do better. These decisions will affect how the new organization addresses the elephants in the room and reconciles opposing public perceptions.
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