It was a simple warning, but one that was seemingly received like a threat.
“He made it very clear,” new Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said, referring to a conversation he had with franchise owner Steve Ross before he was hired in January. “I mean, quite frankly, [Ross’] words to me were, ‘If you don’t get this done, you will never be able to say it was because you didn’t have the resources,’ which tells me everything I need to know.”
Sullivan was explaining the mind-set of his new boss during his introductory news conference with newly hired head coach Jeff Hafley.
And the message was clear.
A powerful billionaire running out of time warned his newly hired decision-maker and head coach to deliver on how they sold themselves, what was promised to build.
Ross, who turns 85 in May, isn’t getting any younger, and those around him stress that he’s running out of patience with this franchise, which has soiled his legacy on so many fronts.
I have known Ross since he took over as majority owner in 2009.
He’s goofy, and genuine. Blunt, and bold.
Years ago he confessed to me how difficult finding success in the NFL has been for him, mainly because of all the league’s rules, and the game within the game he had to learn [and might still be learning].
Ross once joked that “it’s not like I can just go hire Tom Brady.”
Then he tried to do just that, and got punished for it by the NFL.
My favorite story to illustrate how Ross moves is the time I was told to ask Ross about his recent purchase of Fort Lauderdale’s iconic W Hotel on the first date of training camp in 2014.
This was back in the days when Ross openly talked, even joked with the media, back in a time when things were funny.
Ross wanted to share with me how good he was told rookie receiver Jarvis Landry had been performing all offseason, sharing how Landry was destined to be a star (he was). But here I am obsessing about a transaction, asking Ross about business, hotel purchasing and renovation plans….the boring stuff.
“It was a distressed sale. I said, ‘Why not?’ Ross told me, explaining his $90 million purchase of the W Hotel, which he has since sold for a profit.
It was at that moment I realized just how wealthy the real estate mogul playing fantasy football with real humans was.
Ross acted as if the purchase of the W Hotel was a Buy One, Get One free (BOGO) deal at Publix.
And ironically, throwing caution to the wind, and pouring money onto a problem is how Ross prefers to operate his NFL team, especially during free agency
That mind-set justifies why Ross has spent more cash annually than any other NFL owner four to five times in his 17 years as an owner. It explains why he has made seven former Dolphins -—inside linebacker Karlos Dansby, receivers Mike Wallace and Tyreek Hill, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, and cornerbacks Xavien Howard, Byron Jones, and Jalen Ramsey — the highest-paid players at their positions.
Ross once shared that free agency is his favorite time of the NFL season because “that’s when I can get in the game,” seemingly referring to doing what he does, which is open his checkbook to buy things.
However, that kind of financially freewheeling behavior has placed the Dolphins in their present cap hell, dwelling in an accounting mess the franchise will spend the next season pinching pennies for, forced to navigate their way out of.
But Monday’s signing of quarterback Malik Willis, who landed one of the biggest free deals so far, serves as a reminder that Ross will remain who he is at his core, which is a big spender.
Enough though Willis has only started six NFL games, and threw all of 35 passes last season (and 155 in his NFL career), the offer Miami scrounged up enough cap space to make is a reflection of Ross’ commitment transforming this franchise, and spending whatever that takes.
That $45 million Miami guaranteed Willis during the next two seasons (only count guaranteed money in NFL contracts) is manageable, especially if the 26-year-old establishes himself as a top 15 quarterback (let’s not get greedy) for the duration of the deal.
Nobody in the NFL knows more about Willis than the Dolphins’ circle of trust considering Jon Robinson, the general manager who drafted Willis in Tennessee, who is part of Sullivan’s staff. Sullivan was part of the Packers front office who traded for Willis in 2024 and developed him. And Willis’ primary job with the Packers was to get Hafley’s defense ready for each week’s opponent.
If this works, the Dolphins have found a pathway out of the wilderness.
Ross did what was necessary to deliver the biggest piece an NFL program needs when starting yet another rebuild. He spent what was necessary, which will seemingly always been the case while he’s in control.
Now we will learn if Sullivan and Hafley can do their part, which is to build the team around Willis properly, despite the limited resources at the franchise’s disposal.
Miami will likely sign players for minimum-level salaries here on out, and have nine draft picks to use. Let’s hope the team can and coach those players up, helping everyone develop, and maximize their talents.
That might seem like a simple task, an easy venture. But it has clearly been a riddle Ross hasn’t been able to solve, no matter how much money he throws at the problem. And we all know he has thown plenty of money at it.