Can Grier pull a Houdini again and escape responsibility?
The Miami Dolphins are staring down another disappointing season and the spotlight swung towards Mike McDaniel this week after another collapse. Whispers, murmurs, social media hot takes—all saying, McDaniel is on the hot seat. And he should be, but how has Chris Grier escaped being the first to get the aim or along with McDaniel?
Well, Grier has been Teflon of a long time. He should have been canned last season, but he, along with McDaniel, had the ‘full confidence’ from Dolphins owner Steven Ross.
And that, of course, is very Miami.
McDaniel deserves the door… So does Grier
In the land of constant turnover, the coach is always the first to feel the heat, despite front-office ineptitude. Chris Grier, the team’s general manager and architect of this roster—or, depending on how you look at it, the man behind a string of long-term “almosts”—remains untouchable. Grier survives regime after regime, sees every coach come and go, and yet keeps his seat warm while the blame deflects.
It’s really impressive, in a sad, exhausted way. Grier has been here through Adam Gase, Brian Flores, and now McDaniel and always evades the hotseat. Through high-profile free-agent flops, draft misses, and the slow unraveling of a quarterback carousel that would make any fan weep. And yet, here he is, still calling the shots while the coach on the sideline is blamed for the same roster that Grier built, drafted, and blessed with his imprimatur.
Could he be back for his 4th regime? You can bet with the best pay per head that while this sounds completely insane, it’s very possible.
McDaniel should go, but everything has been put into place by Grier
McDaniel is left to explain why the offensive line can’t protect Tua Tagovailoa, why the team can’t run consistently, or why the Dolphins can’t stop anyone under 30 yards. But he’s managing injuries, ego, and fan expectations that are way out of line with reality. And now, with the Phins crashing as was expected by anyone not high on peyote, he’s the one facing scrutiny.
Classic Miami.
It’s worth noting that Grier isn’t exactly immune to criticism. He has some, but he’s had it in the past and escaped any accountability. Grier built the roster, drafted the quarterback, and made the moves designed to put the Dolphins in contention. But in the endless cycle of coach turnover and fan outrage, he manages to skate by while the narrative conveniently shifts toward the coach at a regime’s end.
So, as McDaniel fields questions about playcalling, clock management, and roster shortcomings, remember: he’s saying the same thing that we’ve heard at the end of every coach’s tenure for a decade. And Chris Grier? He’s sitting in the corner, quietly nodding, watching the revolving door spin…waiting for another shot at running the franchise into the ground.
This is Miami football: a place where coaches burn, players falter, and the GM keeps the hot seat warm. Until the next cycle begins.
Go Phins!!!