Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley is not done adding to his coaching staff, as CJ Conrad is being brought on as an offensive assistant.
The wave of former players turned coaches continues to grow, and the Miami Dolphins are adding another to their coaching staff.
Per a report from CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz, the Dolphins are adding Kent State special teams coordinator/tight ends coach and former tight end CJ Conrad to the staff as an offensive assistant.
"The #Dolphins are hiring Kent State special teams coordinator/tight ends coach CJ Conrad as an offensive assistant, a source tells @CBSSports. As a player, Conrad was an All-SEC tight end at Kentucky and played in the NFL. Now emerging as a quick riser in the coaching space," Zenitz wrote on X.
Conrad played for Kentucky from 2015 to 2018, eventually landing with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent. He would play with the team from 2019 to 2020, mostly on the practice squad.
After his short playing career, Conrad joined Kentucky as a graduate assistant in 2020, where he remained until 2020.
In 2023, Conrad left Kentucky to take a job as tight ends coach for Eastern Kentucky. Following his one year with Eastern Kentucky, he landed at Kent State in 2024, where he has remained.
Conrad is clearly impressing with his rise in the coaching world and has been given his first chance at the NFL level with Jeff Hafley and the Dolphins.
As an offensive assistant, Conrad will get to work directly with offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.
Slowik has over 15 years of experience at the NFL level and can act as a huge mentor for Conrad as he takes his first crack in the professional coaching ranks.
It will also be interesting to see if Conrad's experience as a tight end and tight ends coach will play a part in assisting that unit and tight ends coach Ron Middleton.
The Dolphins have a need at tight end, and the jury is still out regarding whether or not Darren Waller plans to return and whether or not Miami will welcome him back.
Waller has flashes of brilliance in 2025, nabbing six touchdowns through limited action. He began the season on IR and ended the season on IR as well due to various ailments.
Waller did indicate on a podcast that he would train hard and the way he is supposed to if he returns, but that has yet to be decided.
Either way, Conrad now joins the coaching staff of a team in a full rebuild, but one that may still surprise people in 2026.