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.
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AP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this report.
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