A plea to Dolphins’ Sullivan: Please fix this Grier issue that returned Sunday

Miami Dolphins admin September 20, 2026 0 Comments

A plea to Dolphins’ Sullivan: Please fix this Grier issue that returned Sunday

Dolphins fandom has been a miserable existence for more than a quarter century now, and for reasons that extend well beyond the unfathomable 25-year playoff victory drought in a league that prioritizes parity.

Beyond all the losing, and all the appalling personnel decisions, and all the miserable, root-canal days like Sunday’s 35-13 49ers’ drubbing of the Dolphins in Game 2 of Year 1 of the latest rebuild, I would make the argument that one of the biggest sources of angst and agita for lifelong South Floridians who prefer the Dolphins win – count myself in that group – is an ailment that doctors called WPTWG, also known as “We Picked The Wrong Guy!”

Every week, WPTWG causes a nauseating concoction of simmering rage and pit-in-the-stomach regret. There is no known treatment, aside from firing your general manager (as the Dolphins wisely did) and hoping the new one makes smarter decisions.

Every week, we get regular doses of WPTWG. In 2022, former Dolphins GM Chris Grier had the choice of two older Big 12 quarterbacks in the seventh round. He inexplicably picked Skylar Thompson, a pleasant enough fellow with an unpleasant 66 career passer rating.

The 49ers picked the only QB selected after that, Super Bowl quarterback and former Pro Bowler Brock Purdy, who carved up the Dolphins Sunday, guiding the 49ers to five touchdowns in their first five possessions and completing 20 of 22 passes for 287 yards and two touchdown passes.

Purdy, incidentally, has the highest passer rating (104.0) and completion percentage (68.1) of any quarterback in history over their first 50 games. Thompson is on injured reserve for the Ravens, hoping to prolong his journeyman career.

In two weeks we’ll see Vikings four-time All Pro receiver Justin Jefferson, whom Grier inexplicably bypassed in 2020 to draft tackle Austin Jackson, who was tormented by Nick Bosa on Sunday and struggled badly for the second consecutive week.

In three weeks, we’ll see three-time All Pro receiver Ja’Marr Chase, whom Grier could have drafted in 2021 if he hadn’t outsmarted himself by trading down for Jaylen Waddle. If you’re watching highlights of Sunday’s games, you’ll see Chase make one of the most incredible catches you’ve ever seen.

I have faith that new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan will do better, though that’s an extremely low bar if we’re being frank here.

Sullivan exudes an air of competence and confidence that leave me encouraged. (I have a strong suspicion that the GM and Jeff Hafley know what they’re doing, though I’ll need more evidence than one offseason to present this to a jury.)

But more important than my gut feeling is this: Sullivan’s draft picks are flashing. Left guard Kadyn Proctor forcefully cleared holes for De’Von Achane on a handful of plays. There were missteps later – including two penalties – but his blend of athleticism, size and power leave reasons for optimism.

Receiver Caleb Douglas’ combination of size and speed suggest there’s potential to become a long-term above average starter; he left Sunday’s game midway through the fourth quarter with an ankle injury.

Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez had a quarterback hit and eight tackles Sunday, giving him 22 tackles in two games. Safety Michael Taaffe had a team-high nine tackles, a week after intercepting a pass in his NFL debut.

It’s way too soon to judge cornerback Chris Johnson, who’s trying to handle two positions as a rookie, and receiver Chris Bell, who dropped a pass Sunday but is just 10 months removed from a torn ACL.

Naturally, Dolphins’ fans biggest hope for Sullivan is that he crafts a winner.

But you know what else would be nice? A significant curtailing of WPTWG. It’s inevitable to happen some; no GM is perfect.

But please, Sully (as everybody calls you), do not under any circumstances allow this to happen nearly as often as it happened with Grier, who famously picked Charles Harris over Steelers star TJ Watt, and then did all of the following (and we’re very sorry to remind you) since the turn of the decade:

▪ 2020: Picked Tua Tagovailoa fifth over Justin Herbert (sixth); then chose Jackson 18th over Jefferson (22nd); then pick safety Brandon Jones 70th over two-time Ravens All Pro defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike (71st); then picked guard/bust Solomon Kindley (111th) over decent NFL back Joshua Kelley (112th), then picked a long-snapper Blake Ferguson 185th, over 51-game NFL starting safety Alohi Gillman (186th).

▪ 2021: Picked Waddle sixth instead of three-time first team All Pro tackle Peneii Sewell, who went seventh and 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain, who went ninth; selected Jevon Holland 36th over three-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Landon Dickerson (37th), then traded up to pick Liam Eichenberg 42nd, one spot before the Raiders took six-year starting safety Trevor Moehrig.

▪ 2022: Drafted Thompson 247th over Purdy (262nd), after selecting bust Channing Tindall at 102, one spot before Kansas City drafted fellow linebacker Leo Chenal, who had seven sacks and 17 tackles for loss in four years as a Chiefs starter.

▪ 2023: Took out-of-the-league bust Cam Smith 51st, one spot before Seattle drafted Zach Charbonnet, who has 21 touchdowns and 1761 rushing yards (4.1 per carry).

▪ 2024: Drafted disappointing Chop Robinson 21st, one spot before the Eagles took 2025 first team All Pro cornerback Quinyon Mitchell; then traded up to draft Jaylen Wright 120th, one spot before Seattle took tight end AJ Barner, who has 10 TDs in 24 starts.

▪ 2025: Picked disappointing Kenneth Grant 13th, one spot before the Colts took rookie Pro Bowl tight end Tyler Warren (76 catches, 817 yards); then traded up to take Jonah Savaiinaea (who led all NFL guards in sacks allowed) 37th, one spot before the Patriots drafted TreVeyon Henderson, who rushed for 911 yards on 5.1 per carry last season and steamrolled through the Steelers on Sunday.

So why was Sullivan left with such a bare cupboard when he was hired? You can start with all of the above, and I find it remarkable (in the worst possible way) that any team could so consistently pick the wrong player immediately before another team picks the right player. (Here is where we interrupt this column to give Grier his deserved props for picking De’Von Achane and Patrick Paul and Rob Hunt and Andrew Van Ginkel.)

Look, every South Floridian should hope former Canes star Rueben Bain Jr. has a wonderful career in Tampa. And good luck to safety Caleb Downs in Dallas. But whether those two players – college stars that the Dolphins bypassed – blossom or not, they better not have much better careers than Proctor. Dolphins fans’ sanity is at stake.

Bain had one tackle in the Buccaneers’ opener and none on Sunday, drawing ire from Tampa fans on social media.

On a good day, WPTWG leaves you in a somewhat foul mood. On a bad day, it can make you bitter and angry enough to throw your Kallen Ballage bobble-head out your window, before you even remember to open your window.

So please, Sully, save us all. Because you know what’s even worse than not making the playoffs? Enduring another bad case of WPTWG.

This story was originally published September 20, 2026 at 7:13 PM.