01/09/26 07:04:00
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01/09 19:02 CST Former Green Bay Packers executive Jon-Eric Sullivan agrees to
become Miami Dolphins GM
Former Green Bay Packers executive Jon-Eric Sullivan agrees to become Miami
Dolphins GM
By ALANIS THAMES
AP Sports Writer
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) --- Jon-Eric Sullivan has agreed to join the Dolphins
as their general manager, making the former Green Bay Packers executive the
first key piece in Miami's organizational reboot.
Sullivan, the Packers' vice president of player personnel, completed an
in-person interview this week with the Dolphins, who were expected to move
swiftly in hiring a new general manager after parting ways with longtime GM
Chris Grier during the season.
"What an incredible honor it is to serve as general manager of the Miami
Dolphins, an organization of history, tradition and great pride," Sullivan said
in a statement released by the Dolphins on Friday night. "I want to express my
gratitude to (owner) Stephen Ross and his family for this exceptional
opportunity and the belief they've placed in me to lead this storied franchise
forward."
Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman was involved in the hiring.
Sullivan spent 22 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, beginning as a scouting
intern in 2003 before earning a full-time position with the team's football
operations department in 2004. In 2022, he was named vice president of player
personnel.
He is the son of Jerry Sullivan, a longtime NFL and college coach who was
Miami's receivers coach in 2004.
"Jon-Eric brings a clear vision for how to build and run a football team,
founded upon his own experience at a winning organization," Ross said in a
statement. "As we went through our search process, it became undeniable the
respect Jon-Eric has across the league as a talent evaluator, leader and man of
integrity."
Sullivan's first task will be finding a new head coach. Mike McDaniel was fired
Thursday after four seasons following a 7-10 campaign in which the Dolphins
missed the playoffs for the second straight year.
The Dolphins have been linked to former Ravens coach John Harbaugh, though the
organization has reportedly not yet heavily pursued him. Other potential
candidates who have a connection with Sullivan include Packers defensive
coordinator Jeff Hafley; Mike McCarthy, who coached the Packers for more than a
decade; and Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, Green Bay's
linebacker's coach in 2024. Campanile also coached Miami's linebackers from
2020-23.
"Now, as we forge ahead, we will build a football team that is resilient,
physical and tough," Sullivan said in the statement. "We will compete no matter
the circumstances, with the ultimate goal of competing for division
championships and Super Bowls."
Sullivan will also need to begin a rebuild of Miami's roster and figure out
what to do with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who was benched the final three
games of the season because of poor play.
Tagovailoa threw for 2,660 yards with 20 touchdowns last season but showed a
stark decline in accuracy and mobility after signing a four-year, $212.4
million extension in July 2024. He finished second in the NFL with 15
interceptions, which was a career high.
Tagovailoa is guaranteed $54 million for 2026, and the Dolphins would incur
significant hits to the salary cap by releasing him. Releasing him next year
would result in a $99 million dead cap charge. If the move is designated as a
post-June 1 release, those charges are split over two years, with $67.4 million
allocated to the 2026 cap and $31.8 million in 2027.
With a new GM, little cap space and an incoming new head coach, the Dolphins
are embarking on another rebuild after gutting their roster in 2019 and
stockpiling draft picks.
But Sullivan should have no trouble turning Miami's franchise around.
He oversaw Green Bay's college and pro scouting departments in his previous
role, working with Packers GM Brian Gutekunst and coach Matt LaFleur. The
Packers have reached the playoffs in three of the last four seasons while
retooling their roster through the draft, free agency and trades.
Green Bay signed cornerback Keisean Nixon in 2022 and safety Xavier McKinney in
2024 through free agency. Both have since combined for three first-team All-Pro
honors and a Pro Bowl selection. The team also acquired defensive lineman Micah
Parsons in a blockbuster trade with Dallas ahead of the 2025 season. Sullivan
was also involved in Green Bay's selection of quarterback Jordan Love in 2020.
The Packers are currently in the playoffs, set to face Chicago in a wild-card
game on Saturday.
Sullivan, a Gardner-Webb University graduate, was a college wide receiver there
and at South Carolina. He worked a few years in the corporate world before
joining the Packers staff.
___
AP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this report.
___
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