MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross wasted little time in throwing his support behind coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier, with a noticeable caveat.
After a loss to the New York Jets secured his first losing season, McDaniel said he believed he and Grier would return to their roles in 2025. Minutes later, the team released a statement from Ross on social media confirming exactly that.
“I believe in the value of stability,” Ross said. “However, continuity in leadership is not to be confused with an acceptance that status quo is good enough.”
The Dolphins have not won a playoff game since 2000 and came no closer to breaking that drought this season, despite significant spending last offseason. While his statement meant Grier’s and McDaniel’s jobs were safe for the next several months, Ross punctuated it with that thinly veiled warning for his decision-makers moving forward.
The Dolphins added plenty of star power entering 2024 but started with a 2-6 record before climbing to the brink of a playoff berth and ultimately finishing 8-9. This season, there isn’t the same pressure to negotiate long-term extensions as there was last season, when the Dolphins had to decide on players such as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, offensive lineman Robert Hunt and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. Only Tagovailoa stayed.
But there are still critical decisions to be made this offseason, starting with wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
Hill made several headlines this season, and rarely for his play on the field. His rocky albeit injury-marred season ended prematurely, when he subbed himself out of Miami’s regular-season finale, and the team will have to decide whether that’s something it can live with.
The Dolphins must also fix an offensive line that might need to replace three starters, address their backup quarterback position after a shaky season from Tagovailoa and possibly rebuild their secondary — all while they enter the offseason roughly $16 million over the salary cap. In-house, Miami must establish a culture of accountability that prevents a repeat of this season, when multiple players were repeatedly late to team meetings and fined to no avail.
It appears the powers at be in South Florida are, at the very least, aware of what’s at stake. As Ross said, the status quo must change for the Dolphins in 2025; jobs should be on the line if it doesn’t.
“We had expectations which were created by the excitement of the last couple years and we had hoped to continue it and for various circumstances, didn’t happen this year and it was unacceptable,” Grier said. “No one is happy and we will get this fixed. Very confident in our process and looking forward to 2025 and not being out of the playoffs watching other teams play.”
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