A recalled history lesson from a Hall of Fame hopeful helps reinforce the Miami Dolphins’ 2026 offseason approach
There were some questions about the Miami Dolphins embracing familiarity with all their hires, but this history lesson suggests it’s a wise play.
The Miami Dolphins‘ approach to the 2026 offseason and their dramatic overhaul of the football operation caught the eye of many as the bigger pieces of the puzzle were set into place. A general manager was hired. The head coach hire came next, with familiarity to the GM from joint time in Green Bay with the Packers. Then came a quarterback — also from Green Bay.
The close proximity of all of Miami’s new power players will help them get and stay on the same page. But some still feel skeptical about too many folks who know one another coming together to start something new. But the other side of the coin here is variance. Minimizing variance in direction can be key — especially as a team is just getting started. If you’re not aligned and working together, people notice. And sometimes, it may cost you a player of choice.
Eli Manning recalling the Chargers saga is affirmation that the Miami Dolphins’ offseason approach was important to get right
“Marty Schottenheimer was the head coach at the time. He was awesome, a great respect for him but they came to work me out in New Orleans. (We) went to dinner, and like, there was just friction between the head coach, the general manager, the owners. They’re all like, yelling, kind of like fighting. We’re at a Marriott restaurant and Schottenheimer’s mad — he’s like ‘we’re eating at a Marriott?’ So he’s like pissed, they’re kind of just bickering. It just didn’t seem like there like a whole lot of agreement on things and they were kind of committed to building a great winning franchise.”
– QB Eli Manning on ‘Bussin’ With The Boys’
Manning’s draft and trade saga with the (then) San Diego Chargers back in 2004 saw the team still draft Manning at No. 1 overall, only for Manning to refuse to play and promptly get traded to the New York Giants for Phillip Rivers. The irony of Manning’s play is that the Chargers were quite good quite fast after picking No. 1 overall. Drew Brees bounced back, and the Chargers won 12, 9 and 14 games in the next three seasons.
But Schottenheimer was fired after a 14-2 campaign in 2006 — so Manning really isn’t wrong on his read about the potential dysfunction that awaited in San Diego.
Alignment matters. So for the Miami Dolphins, who are trying to build something up from the foundation, being aligned in totality should be considered a good thing. It doesn’t guarantee the kind of successes that everyone is hoping to see from this group in South Florida. But it cuts through the noise and dysfunction that plagues too many. Adversity will come for these Jon-Eric Sullivan & Jeff Hafley teams. It comes for everyone. But the trust built in Green Bay will hopefully shine through in those moments. Because those who know what to look for will see it either way, just as Manning did two decades ago.
Miami Dolphins News