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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.

Hall of Famer Troy Aikman hired as consultant for Miami Dolphins GM search
Dolphins bring in Troy Aikman

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.

REVIEW: WHY MATT LAFLEUR IS COUNTING ON VETERANS TO SAVE THE SEASON

Matt LaFleur rested starters in a 16-3 loss to the Vikings. We analyse the Packers' slump and life without Micah Parsons.

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Matt LaFleur Defends Decision to Rest Starters

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur stood on the sideline, watching as his team slogged through a rough second quarter against the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. It was January 4, 2026, and honestly, this game didn’t mean much for Green Bay. They’d already locked up their playoff spot, so LaFleur kept Jordan Love and several other starters on the bench. Instead, Clayton Tune got the nod at quarterback—a guy who’d been hanging out on the practice squad most of the year and only took a few snaps in Week 17.

Tune threw just 11 passes all game, completing six for 34 yards. Not exactly electric. The Vikings sacked him four times, so the Packers actually finished with negative passing yards. Yeah, minus 7. That pretty much sums up the afternoon.

The final score was 16-3, and the only reason Green Bay even got on the board was a late field goal they set up with a timeout. The run game looked a little better—they managed 128 yards on 35 carries, and that was without Josh Jacobs, who sat out too. Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs didn’t play either, whether because of injuries or just getting some rest. So, the Packers were missing a lot of firepower.

Here’s the bigger problem: for the second year in a row, the Packers are stumbling into the playoffs on a losing streak. Just a few weeks ago, after beating the Bears in Week 14, they were leading the NFC North and looking sharp. But then things unravelled—four straight losses, injuries piling up, and the worst of it was losing Micah Parsons to a torn ACL. He’s done till next season.

LaFleur isn’t pretending it’s all fine. He says the team has taken their lumps, but now it’s time to move on. “We’re in the dance,” he told reporters. “We’ve got to go on the road and play our best football from here.”

Nobody knows exactly who they’ll face in the first round, but LaFleur is counting on his veterans to remember what playoff football feels like. He wants them to step up when it matters most.

“You stick with what you believe in,” he said. “But everyone’s got to understand—the playoffs are different. There’s no next week if you lose. We need to play our best.”

Green Bay’s hoping that resting its stars will pay off. Whether it does, well, we’ll see soon enough.

“ LaFleur said, “Everything’s pretty fluid as we prep this week. It depends on when we actually play. But I thought practice went well—the guys who rested still got solid reps, first team offence versus first team defence. Physically, we’re in a good place.”

HOW MYLES GARRETT SURPASSED STRAHAN AND WATT FOR THE SACK RECORD

Myles Garrett makes history with his 23rd sack as Andre Szmyt’s 49-yard field goal lifts the Browns over the Bengals 20-18.

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Myles Garrett is Now the Undisputed Greatest Defender in the NFL

Myles Garrett waited until the last possible moment to break the NFL sack record, but it was Cleveland’s kicker who stole the show at the end. As the clock hit zero, Andre Szmyt nailed a 49-yard field goal to give the Browns a 20-18 win over the Bengals—a little redemption for Szmyt, who missed a short field goal and an extra point against Cincinnati way back in the season opener. This time, he delivered. On the other side, Bengals kicker Evan McPherson missed two extra points, which ended up costing his team the game.

Garrett’s big moment came with just over five minutes left. He burst up the middle, and Joe Burrow just slid to the ground—sack number 23 for Garrett. That put him past Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt for the single-season record. The Browns' bench cleared to celebrate with him, and the game paused while everyone soaked it in.

Cincinnati wasn’t done, though. Down 17-12 late, Burrow led the Bengals on a 61-yard drive and hit Ja’Marr Chase for a 4-yard touchdown, giving Cincinnati an 18-17 lead with 90 seconds left. Chase was his usual self—eight catches, 96 yards, and a score.

For Cleveland, rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders didn’t light up the stat sheet—just 111 yards on 11-of-22 passing—but he picked up his third win as a starter. The Browns closed out the season with back-to-back victories over AFC North rivals, even though their offense sputtered most of the day and they lost center Luke Wypler to a knee injury.

Burrow finished with 236 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception on 29-of-39 passing. Running back Chase Brown crossed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time and grabbed a touchdown as well, wrapping up a strong season with 72 yards on 13 carries.

Early on, it looked like Cincinnati would cruise. Burrow hit a wide-open Brown for a 4-yard touchdown after Cam Sample strip-sacked Sanders and Howard Cross recovered at the Cleveland 29. But the extra point got blocked, and that missed point loomed large later.

Cleveland’s defense made some noise, too. Devin Bush picked off Burrow and ran it back 97 yards for a score in the first quarter. Just a minute later, Sam Webb scooped up a fumble and sprinted 47 yards to the end zone. That gave the Browns a 14-6 lead.

Tee Higgins caught a 13-yard touchdown from Burrow just before halftime, and again, McPherson missed the extra point. It was that kind of day for Cincinnati.

The Browns lost their top corner, Denzel Ward, to a neck injury early on. He didn’t return.

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