The Miami Dolphins have hired a key architect from the Green Bay Packers' front office.
The Miami Dolphins are moving in a new direction after a few seasons in a row of disappointing results. They've made housecleaning moves up front by firing head coach Mike McDaniel after four seasons.
Earlier this season, Miami and long-time general manager Chris Grier had "mutually agreed to part ways" after a 2-7 start to the 2025 campaign. Though the Dolphins did have an interim GM in place in Champ Kelly, they've decided to go with an outside voice for their new hire in that position.
If looking outside, why not look north to the Green Bay Packers? The Packers are one of the best-run organizations in sports, not just in the NFL, and they've had a long track record of building up elite front office executives.
That was clearly the thought for Miami, because it's being reported that the Dolphins have hired Green Bay's vice president of player personnel, Jon-Eric Sullivan, to be their next general manager.
Sullivan has been with the Packers since 2003. He started his career in Green Bay as a scouting intern and moved up the ranks slowly but surely. He held positions from college scout to director of college scouting. He was also, at one point, the co-director of player personnel before he was promoted to vice president of player personnel in 2022.
He's worked alongside Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst for years, so he's more than qualified for this job in Miami.
Notably, Sullivan is also the son of Jerry Sullivan, who was a longtime NFL and college football coach. Fun fact: the elder Sullivan was the wide receivers coach for the Dolphins in 2004.
Sullivan's first and most important job in Miami will be hiring a new coach and one has to wonder if Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley will be on top of his list. He'll also have to make a big decision on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who was benched in Week 15 but is under contract and represents a ton of money.
If Sullivan cuts Tagovailoa before June 1 the Dolphins will have to eat a $99.2 million dead cap hit. A cut after June 1 would spread the number across two seasons, but it will still cost $67.2 million in dead cap money in 2026.
Multiple Packers scouts over the years have risen the ranks to become general managers. Sullivan is just the latest in a group that includes Ted Thompson, Scot McCloughan, John Schneider, Reggie McKenzie, John Dorsey and, of course, Gutekunst.