The Miami Dolphins have the rare privilege of having two Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks, Troy Aikman and Dan Marino, in their front office to help guide the franchise, and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan recently talked about it. The team is heading in a new direction this year after a massive overhaul, and many are curious about the influence of Aikman and Marino.
Jon-Eric Sullivan Highlights Troy Aikman and Dan Marino’s Importance
After missing the playoffs for the second straight season last year, owner Stephen Ross and Miami’s top brass fired head coach Mike McDaniel. Former general manager Chris Grier mutually agreed to part ways with the Dolphins after the team started 2-7. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was also released, and Miami took a dead cap hit of $99.2 million, signaling one of the biggest franchise overhauls we’ve seen in quite a while.
According to PFSN’s Offense Impact Metric, the Dolphins ranked 19th in the league last season, with an impact score of 73.1. Similarly, according to PFSN’s Defense Impact Metric, Miami ranked 27th in the league, posting an impact score of 67.6.
With Sullivan as the new GM and Jeff Hafley as head coach, the team has a lot to figure out on both sides of the ball.
Enter — Aikman and Marino. The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback was initially hired in January to consult on the franchise’s search for a new head coach and GM, and Sullivan recently spoke about the two Hall of Famers’ influence on operations.
“[Troy Aikman] will not be consulted for picks; he may be in the draft room,” Sullivan said in a press conference on Wednesday. “I can’t say enough good things about Troy and, quite frankly, Dan [Marino], for that matter, as well. Dan has been here. Dan has been in the room. Dan has been a tremendous sounding board for us. We’ve had a lot of fun together. He’s fun, I love Dan.”
Having legends of the game consult on roster construction certainly has its advantages. With insight into professional-level gameplay, they can help inform key personnel decisions.
“[Marino] has been especially helpful for me with quarterbacks and receivers,” Sullivan added. “I don’t need to expound upon that; you guys can understand why there. And Troy has been a wonderful sounding board in his own right from afar. Troy will be part of the equation moving forward. What that looks like, we’ll see, but he’s been a great sounding board, and I’m glad he’s going to be part of the equation.”
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It came as a big surprise when Aikman was hired by the Dolphins, given how he spent more than a decade with the Cowboys, building an iconic resume that earned him a Gold Jacket.
But with owner Jerry Jones never offering an executive offer, Aikman didn’t mind joining the Dolphins’ front office as part of a new chapter for the franchise.
