How Troy Aikman Is Set to Help Out the Dolphins ... And the Questions This Raises

The Miami Dolphins will be getting some assistant from the Hall of Fame quarterback

Hall of Famer Troy Aikman prior to a game between the New Orleans Saints and the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins are days away from starting their search for a permanent general manager, and they'll be getting some Hall of Fame help for that task.

Per multiple reports Thursday, ESPN analyst Troy Aikman, the former great Dallas Cowboys quarterback, will be helping out as an advisor during the GM search, the idea being that his many connections throughout the league could come in handy. Aikman is not expected to join the Dolphins organization beyond his consulting work.

The Dolphins fired Chris Grier on October 31 after the Week 9 loss against the Baltimore Ravens left the team with a 2-7 record. Champ Kelly, who was hired in mid-March as a senior personnel executive, was named interim GM at the time.

Grier had served as GM since 2016, though it was in 2019 that he really was given control of personnel decisions following the departure of Senior Executive Vice President of Football Operations Mike Tannenbaum.

The idea of bringing Aikman, according to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, is give owner Stephen Ross and the Dolphins brass an outside perspective in the hopes of landing the best possible candidate.

The Dolphins already have a Hall of Fame quarterback, Dan Marino, working for the organization, as he serves in the role of advisor to Vice Chairman/President/CEO Tom Garfinkel, so one might wonder the need for a second.

But this is where the idea of an outside voice might come into play.

WHAT THE DOLPHINS WANT

Aikman is expected to sit in on candidate interviews, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, and the Dolphins are expected to target a candidate with a strong scouting background.

Among those listed as potential GM candidates around the league for 2026 are Philadelphia Eagles assistant GM Alec Halaby, Detroit Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew, San Francisco 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams, Green Bay Packers VP of Player Personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan.

Kelly, who has been in the NFL working in scouting since 2007, also figures to be interviewed for the opening.

Another big question with Aikman coming on board to consult on the new GM hire is where head coach Mike McDaniel fits into the equation.

The signing of quarterback Cam Miller off the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad Friday, a move made clearly with the offseason in mind, also was interesting because of its timing. Given that Miller's skill set fits what McDaniel likes in his quarterbacks, one has to wonder how much say he had in the decision and whether this means he's definitely coming back next season — though the Dolphins didn't take on any contractual obligation beyond this season, so they easily could move on from Miller if a new head coach were to come in and be looking for a different type of quarterback.

The Dolphins are wrapping up their 2025 season Sunday when they face the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.