HALL OF FAMER TROY AIKMAN HIRED AS CONSULTANT FOR MIAMI DOLPHINS GM SEARCH
Hall of Famer Troy Aikman joins the Miami Dolphins as a consultant. Read why Stephen Ross is using the analyst to find a new GM.
The Dolphins are in the middle of a messy hunt for a new general manager, and they’ve decided to get creative. Instead of sticking with the usual suspects, they’re bringing in Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman to help steer the GM search.
Yeah, you read that right—Aikman. He’s not exactly the first name you’d expect for this sort of thing. But with all the chaos swirling around the team right now, maybe it makes sense. Tua Tagovailoa just got benched, the whole franchise feels a little directionless, and fans are stuck wondering what’s next.
It’s also wild how much time has passed since they fired Chris Grier, who got the boot back on Halloween after that ugly 2-7 start. Owner Stephen Ross kept Mike McDaniel as head coach, which probably made the GM search even trickier.
Ross made his usual statement after the firing, promising more effort and no excuses. He said, “There is a lot of football left to play, and we all need to fight even harder… I have always been and remain committed to building a winning team that consistently competes for championships. Our performance on the field and our team-building process have not been good enough. There are no excuses. You deserve a championship-calibre team you can be proud of.”
Now, Aikman’s role isn’t totally clear. He’s not in the running for the GM job himself, but he’s jumping in as a temporary consultant—maybe he’ll just give advice, maybe he’ll have a bigger say. He’s spent decades in the broadcast booth, and his name definitely carries weight in the league. Still, you have to wonder how much influence he’ll really have.
The Dolphins have bounced back a bit since that brutal start, but once again, they’re watching the playoffs from home. Losing Grier made some fans happy, but a lot of the heat is on McDaniel, who’s only managed two playoff trips in four years and holds a 35-2 record—solid, but not exactly legendary.
So here comes Aikman, and honestly, it’s a fascinating move. Maybe his time as a colour analyst on Monday Night Football gives him an edge here. He knows the league, he knows the people, and he’s got a reputation you can’t ignore. But is this actually going to help the Dolphins find the right GM, or is it just a Hail Mary?
Aikman himself sounds cautious about jumping into a front office job. “I’m not opposed to hard work… It’s not so much the hours that would be involved; it’s more about, at my age currently, there would be a learning curve,” he admitted. “Would an organisation be willing to allow that to happen? It’s a young man’s game; it’s a young man’s world.” He might help out with the search, but he’s not itching to be the guy in charge.
For Miami, this move feels a little desperate, maybe a little bold. It could shake things up in a good way—or just add to the confusion. The only thing that really matters now is who they pick and what comes next.
RAIDERS PLACE RECEIVER JUSTIN SHORTER ON IR; SIGN HOOSIERS STAR BRADY
With Justin Shorter on IR, discover how new signing Jonathan Brady fits into the Raiders' wide receiver youth movement for 2026.
The Raiders aren’t sitting still; rookie minicamp just started, and they're already shuffling the roster. Right now, some veteran players are basically on borrowed time as the team leans hard into getting younger.
Take Justin Shorter. He’s been in Vegas since 2024 but hasn’t caught a pass in an actual NFL game. Well, his spot just got even more shaky. The Raiders put him on the Reserve/Injured list, which, let’s be real, is never a good sign this early in the offseason. Usually, that sort of move means a buyout could be next so he can test free agency.
There’s a steady influx of young receivers competing for spots, so it’s tough to see Shorter making his way back, even if he heals up. To fill his spot, the team signed Jonathan Brady, a receiver out of Indiana.
Nobody’s really sure what kind of injury Shorter has. If it’s serious, maybe he sticks around and rehabs with the team. If not, we might see him try his luck somewhere else.
As for the Raiders’ wide receiver group, the youth movement is real. Wide receiver was a big need heading into the offseason, but they didn’t do much outside of signing Jalen Nailor and drafting Malik Benson in the sixth round.
Vincent Bonsignore from the California Post pointed out that the Raiders might still look to add more receivers if the current group doesn’t step up. He basically said that the early rounds of the draft went to bigger needs, and now guys like Bech and Thornton Jr. have a chance to prove the team doesn’t have to keep looking elsewhere. But don’t expect the Raiders to hesitate if things look shaky.
Now, about that passing game, it was rough last season. The Raiders finished in the bottom five. But with Klint Kubiak calling plays and Fernando Mendoza hopefully taking over for Geno Smith, things honestly should get better. If Kirk Cousins ends up starting, he’s probably an upgrade, too. And bringing in Tyler Linderbaum at centre will only help.
Chances are, the Raiders will use an early pick on a receiver in next year’s draft. Even though they have a rookie quarterback waiting in the wings, they didn’t spend big at receiver this offseason. Maybe that’s because they don’t expect him to start right away. Who knows. For now, the wide receiver group looks decent enough to get by.
NFL EXECUTIVE NAMES COLE PAYTON HIS "NO. 2 QUARTERBACK" IN THE 2026 CLASS
From 94.6 PFF grades to 4.56 speed, Cole Payton is the Eagles' latest QB project. Analysing his path to the NFL depth chart.
Cole Payton, who played quarterback at North Dakota State, might end up making a bigger splash as a fifth-round pick than people expect.
He’s not just another late-round flyer, either. An NFL executive recently told insider J.L. Canfora that Payton has real upside. The Eagles have done something similar before, so this isn't coming out of nowhere.
Remember Carson Wentz? Philly grabbed him with the second overall pick back in 2016, but Jalen Hurts ended up taking over. Now, some people around the league think history might repeat itself with Payton possibly replacing Hurts down the road.
The executive went all in on Payton: “You know, I believe in that kid. That was my No. 2 quarterback in the draft. And Howie [Roseman] takes him? Come on. He sees it too. Cole Payton, if you bring him along the right way, can start in this league.”
Roseman, the guy in Philly’s front office, was a big part of the Wentz pick. He’s seen his fair share of quarterback changes over the years, and honestly, that might matter this time, too.
The executive didn’t hold back: “All the stuff you hear about Hurts, all the drama and where he is in his contract." You can call me crazy, but I think this kid could take over from him in a few years. They did this with [Kevin] Kolb, even when [Donovan] McNabb was still there. I know how Howie thinks. This kid has a chance.”
Payton had to wait for his turn at NDSU.
Payton rolled into North Dakota State in 2021, known as a strong recruit for an FCS quarterback, straight out of Omaha.
He was supposed to be the next big thing, just like the string of successful Bison quarterbacks before him. But things didn’t break that way at first. Cam Miller, the QB ahead of him, kept stacking up wins and making a name for himself in Fargo.
Miller even beat out Quincy Patterson II, a gifted dual-threat quarterback who transferred in from Virginia Tech. After Patterson got banged up in 2021, Miller took over, steered the team to a national championship, and then hung on to the starting job through 2024.
Patterson left for Temple, so Payton slid into the Bison’s running packages in a spot that Patterson had filled before. And Payton did more than just fill that role. In 2022, he ran for 284 yards and two touchdowns on 38 carries. By the next year, he really took off: 615 yards and 13 touchdowns on 84 carries.
Setback, then a breakout
Payton started 2024 looking like the same kind of threat on the ground, but a shoulder injury cut his season short. He only managed 164 rushing yards and a score on 21 carries before he went down.
Finally, in 2025, his shot as the full-time starter arrived after Miller left for the NFL draft, drafted by the Raiders in the sixth round. Payton made the most of it. He led NDSU to an unbeaten 12-0 regular season, completing 70% of his passes for 2,719 yards, with 16 touchdowns and just four picks. And he still ran wild, with 777 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 136 carries.
Now, he’s got a fresh chance in Philadelphia. If you ask people around the league, he’s not just there to hold a clipboard. They're watching to see what happens next.
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