Three Big Decisions Looming for the Dolphins’ New GM - and None Are Easy
As new head coach Jeff Hafley begins making his rounds with the media, the real heavy lifting in Miami is happening behind the scenes - and it’s falling squarely on the shoulders of general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. It’s been a whirlwind first month on the job, and with the league year set to open on March 11, Sullivan is staring down some serious roster decisions that will shape the Dolphins’ immediate future.
Miami has 34 players set to hit free agency, and Sullivan has already made it clear: not everyone is coming back. That’s just the math. But while letting expiring contracts walk is one thing, deciding the fate of players still under contract - especially ones with name recognition and locker room presence - is a whole different challenge.
Here are three players under contract whose futures in Miami are anything but certain.
Tyreek Hill: Still Elite, But Is He Still the Right Fit?
Let’s get this out of the way: Tyreek Hill is still one of the most electric wide receivers in football. When he’s on the field and locked in, he’s a game-breaker - the kind of player who can tilt the field with a single touch. But that’s not the whole picture anymore.
Hill’s availability hasn’t been the primary concern lately. It’s everything else - the off-field issues, the attitude, the questions about whether he’s truly all-in on the team-first culture that Sullivan and Hafley are trying to build. And that’s where things get complicated.
This isn’t about cap space or contract structure. This is about tone-setting.
If Sullivan is serious about reshaping the Dolphins’ culture, then retaining a player - even one as talented as Hill - who doesn’t fully align with that vision sends a conflicting message. It’s not just about production; it’s about identity.
And Hill, for all his explosiveness, may no longer fit the mold of what this regime wants to represent.
Austin Jackson: A Leader in the Room, But Is That Enough?
Austin Jackson is the kind of guy every coach wants in the locker room. He’s vocal, respected, and consistently praised for his leadership.
He’s the glue guy - the one who keeps things together when the season gets messy. And if football was played in meeting rooms and weight rooms, Jackson would be a franchise cornerstone.
But it’s not. It’s played on Sundays, and that’s where Jackson’s value gets murky.
Injuries have been a recurring theme throughout his six-year career. Out of a possible 102 games, he’s missed 42.
That’s a big number - and a big problem for a team trying to build consistency in the trenches. When he’s healthy, Jackson is serviceable, sometimes even solid.
But “sometimes” isn’t good enough when you’re trying to build a sustainable offensive line around a quarterback who needs protection to thrive.
Sullivan has said he wants players who bring both character and performance. Jackson checks the first box emphatically.
The second? That’s still up for debate.
Minkah Fitzpatrick: The Enigma in the Secondary
Minkah Fitzpatrick’s return to Miami was one of the more intriguing storylines of last season, and his play didn’t disappoint. He showed flashes of the All-Pro talent that made him a star in the first place, and under defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, there were signs that he was beginning to shed the baggage that followed him out of Pittsburgh.
But here’s the dilemma: Fitzpatrick is good - very good - but is he the leader this defense needs? And more importantly, does he still see Miami as a place where he can win?
The Dolphins are staring down a potential rebuild, or at the very least, a reset. The AFC is stacked, and the path to contention isn’t getting easier.
Fitzpatrick has to know that. And if he sees the writing on the wall, a trade request wouldn’t be shocking.
That’s a conversation Sullivan has to be ready for - and if it comes, the return could be valuable draft capital to help accelerate the team’s long-term plan.
Even if Fitzpatrick doesn’t force the issue, Sullivan has to weigh whether keeping a star safety who may not be fully bought into the long haul is worth more than what he could bring back in a trade.
The Bottom Line
Jon-Eric Sullivan’s first offseason in Miami was never going to be easy. But with these three players - Hill, Jackson, and Fitzpatrick - he’s facing decisions that go beyond stats and salary caps.
These are culture calls. Identity calls.
The kind of choices that define a GM’s tenure, for better or worse.
And with the clock ticking toward March 11, every move he makes - or doesn’t make - will speak volumes about the direction the Dolphins are heading.