Maligned Dolphins GM Chris Grier is spending his Saturday scouting a heavyweight college showdown — but we shouldn’t read too much into it just yet
The Dolphins’ GM was in Columbia to evaluate two top quarterback prospects, but his presence may mean less — or more — than fans think.
Tis the season for NFL general managers everywhere. The college football season is in full swing. We’re going to start reaching the point of all-star game declarations and underclassman declarations for the NFL Draft in the next few weeks. The college scouting process is off and running. For the Miami Dolphins, that conversation currently comes with some questions. Head coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier are both on the hot seat. But that hot seat status isn’t preventing anyone from doing their day-to-day job responsibilities. Nor should it.
And for Grier, that means a trip to one of the biggest scouting matchups of the weekend on Saturday. Grier and “multiple representatives” of the Dolphins organization are in Columbia, South Carolina today scouting an SEC matchup, per ESPN’s Jordan Reid. Here’s what you should (and shouldn’t) think about this development — because Dolphins fans have a lot of thoughts about it already.
Dolphins general manager Chris Grier and company getting an up close look at two of the best QB prospects in college football
It’s important, first and foremost, to understand that this doesn’t mean anything at all for Grier’s job security into the future in Miami. He’s currently employed. This is a very natural part of the weekly routine for a general manager in-season. The natural reaction from plenty of Dolphins fans to this news already has been to lament Grier looking at quarterbacks with the presumption that he’s going to be sticking around based on him investigating quarterbacks.
That could happen. But it also could not. There’s nothing to read into with the presence of Grier at the game to suggest there’s clarity on his long-term status. But it is of note that the Dolphins have a presence amid their current scouting staff that is in town and collecting information on all of the players in Saturday’s contest between South Carolina and Oklahoma — including the quarterbacks, John Mateer (Oklahoma) and La’Norris Sellers (South Carolina).
The current scouting staff in Miami is building the foundation of which the decisions in April are going to be built on. That includes personality profiles, background information, assessing the players on the field during the game, and even how they conduct themselves on the sideline after possessions and with their teammates. That doesn’t mean they’ll make the decision in April.
Top rated quarterback prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft
- Fernando Mendoza, Indiana Hoosiers
- La’Norris Sellers, South Carolina Gamecocks
- Dante Moore, Oregon Ducks
- Garrett Nussmeier, LSU Tigers
- John Mateer, Oklahoma Sooners
The showcase between the two teams features more than just the quarterbacks, of course. South Carolina offers a prolific height/weight/speed wide receiver in Nyck Harbor and on defense has a defensive back prospect to know, Jalon Kilgore. Oklahoma features their own wide receiver in Deion Burks, plus a pass rusher with top-100 ability in R Mason Thomas.
With that said, NFL general managers typically hit heavyweight matchups. And the quarterback showcase is unquestionably one of those.
For now, just file the whole thing away in the back of your head. Don’t stress about Grier being a man on the job — because he currently has a role with the organization and this is a normal part of that job description in October. It doesn’t guarantee him in anything in January, let alone next April. Don’t make any major assumptions on who they’re there to see, either. But it is most certainly interesting. Very interesting, indeed.
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