01/09/26 10:23:00
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01/09 10:21 CST Jon-Eric Sullivan finalizing deal to become Miami Dolphins GM,
AP source says
Jon-Eric Sullivan finalizing deal to become Miami Dolphins GM, AP source says
By ALANIS THAMES
AP Sports Writer
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) --- Jon-Eric Sullivan is finalizing a deal to join the
Dolphins as their general manager, making the former Green Bay Packers
executive the first key piece in Miami's organizational reboot, a person with
knowledge of the hiring told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not made an
announcement.
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.
ESPN first reported the deal.
Sullivan spent 22 seasons with 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, with the Packers making the playoffs in three of the last four
seasons. Green Bay is currently set to face Chicago on Saturday in a wild-card
game.
He is the son of Jerry Sullivan, a longtime NFL and college coach who was
Miami's receivers coach in 2004.
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.
Sullivan will also need to 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.
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AP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this report.
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