Chris Grier, Dolphins Agree to Part Ways Ahead of NFL Trade Deadline amid 2-7 Record

Following the Miami Dolphins' 28-6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night, Chris Grier is out as the team's general manager.

"This morning, I made the decision along with general manager Chris Grier to mutually part ways," Dolphins Chairman Stephen Ross said in a statement. "I have incredible respect for Chris and his family, and I want to thank him for his many contributions to the Miami Dolphins over the past 26 years.

"As I assessed the state of the team and in my discussions with Chris, it became clear to both of us that change could not wait. We must improve — in 2025, 2026 and beyond — and it needs to start right now. Champ Kelly will serve as interim general manager effective immediately, and we will begin our search process for a new general manager. I want to thank Champ for stepping up and his commitment to the Dolphins success this season. There is a lot of football left to play and we all need to fight even harder."

Grier, 55, had been part of the Dolphins organization since 2000, and he had been their GM since 2016.

"I have always been and remain committed to building a winning team that consistently competes for championships," Ross said. "I am incredibly proud of our leadership as an NFL organization and our continued commitment to the community, but our performance on the field and our team-building process have not been good enough. There are no excuses. I want to thank the fans for their continued support and passion for this team. You deserve a championship-caliber team you can be proud of. There's much work ahead to return the Dolphins to sustained success, and that work begins now, finishing the season strong, evaluating all areas of our football operation, and moving forward with a clear vision for the future."

Wide receiver Tyreek Hill appeared to react to the news on social media:

Despite Grier's departure, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter that Mike McDaniel will remain the Dolphins' head coach through at least the end of the 2025 season.

After stints in the Dolphins organization as a scout, assistant director of college scouting and director of college scouting, Grier was elevated to GM in 2016 following the firing of Dennis Hickey.

Grier's first major order of business was hiring Adam Gase as the team's head coach. The Dolphins made the playoffs in the first year of the Grier-Gase tandem, but Gase was fired following the 2018 season, and Miami went five straight years without a playoff berth from 2017 to 2021.

The Dolphins made back-to-back playoff appearances in 2022 and 2023, which were the first two seasons under McDaniel, but they were ousted in the AFC Wild Card Round each time.

In 2023, the Dolphins had a sizable lead over the Buffalo Bills for the AFC East title, but they lost three of their final five games, including a Week 18 home loss to the Bills, to finish second in the division and settle for a wild-card berth.

The Dolphins then missed the playoffs last season with an 8-9 record, and they are trending toward missing out on the postseason again this year due to a 2-7 start.

Grier made several significant moves during his nearly decade-long stint as Dolphins general manager, but perhaps none was bigger than selecting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa fifth overall in the 2020 NFL draft and signing him to a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension last year.

Tagovailoa was a Pro Bowler in 2023 when he threw for a career-high 4,624 yards and 29 touchdowns, but he has struggled mightily ever since.

Last season, Tua missed six games due to injury and threw for 2,867 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions. So far this season, he has thrown for 1,779 yards, 15 touchdowns and a league-high 11 picks.

Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Dolphins have received trade calls on wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, pass-rushers Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips and Matthew Judon, and cornerback Rasul Douglas this season, but they have been resistant to moving them thus far.

However, Pelissero theorized that teams will check back with the Dolphins on those players in the coming days now that Grier is out of the picture.

Given that the Dolphins would almost need to run the table in order to make the playoffs at this point, it would make sense for them to be sellers at the deadline.