The Miami Dolphins fired Chris Grier shortly before the NFL trade deadline during the 2025 season, and after the year came to a close, they fired Mike McDaneil.
Now, with a head coach and general manager spot open, the Dolphins have two major roles to fill this offseason. With seven other teams seeking a new head coach, and a few others with GM holes, what Miami does first is something to monitor.
According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Dolphins have a plan in place for which role to fill first. Even after McDaniel's firing, the Dolphins plan to fill their general manager role first.
Dolphins plan to fill GM hole first, head coach 2nd
"The Dolphins plan to hire a GM, most likely in the next day or two, before conducting their head coaching search, per sources," Pelissero reports.
The plan is clear for Miami: hire a new general manager first, then explore the head coaching landscape second.
Currently, there are four finalists for the general manager job in Miami: Los Angeles Chargers' Chad Alexander, Green Bay Packers' Jon-Eric Sullivan, San Francisco 49ers' Josh Williams, and Dolphins interim GM Champ Kelly.
Of those four, one stands out as not just the most likely, but as the clear best fit to try and get the top head coach. Alexander has a connection with John Harbaugh and would be the ideal hire for Miami.
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Not only would he help the Dolphins land the clear best head coach available this cycle, but they would also be bringing in a great mind to help get the Dolphins out of the massive hole they've dug themselves into.
But, before they even consider deciding on their head coach, the Dolphins are going to hire a new general manager.
Whether it's Alexander or one of the other three names, Dolphins fans should expect a new GM to be named in the coming days before any head coaching buzz materializes.
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