Miami Dolphins
Getty
A former Dolphins linebacker made his feelings clear on social media
The Miami Dolphins are in the middle of a rebuild. Things appeared to be heading this way once the Dolphins fired general manager Chris Grier during the 2025 season, and despite winning six of their final nine games, Miami opted to dismiss head coach Mike McDaniel. Miami hired former Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan to replace Grier as general manager.
Sullivan, who has publicly stated that he wants to employ a draft-and-develop philosophy, has shed many of Miami’s large contracts and is seemingly prioritizing draft capital. His moves have officially put an end to the era of Dolphins football that prioritized speed and explosiveness under Mike McDaniel.
As a result, one former member of the Dolphins, who played with the team for six seasons, made his feelings clear after the team’s latest decision to trade wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
Former Miami Dolphins Player Sends Message
Former Miami Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker took to social media to address Miami’s recent moves, as he posted on X, “Are we ever going to discuss about what happened to the Dolphins after Flo (Brian Flores) left?”
Baker played under three different head coaches with the Dolphins as he played his rookie season under Adam Gase, then the following three seasons with Brian Flores, before playing two seasons with McDaniel. Baker had the two best seasons of his career in the 2020 and 2021 seasons under Flores, as he registered 12.5 sacks.
Miami dismissed Flores after three seasons despite registering back-to-back winning seasons and winning eight of his final nine games in Miami. However, despite his on-field success, Flores had a difficult time with some members of Miami’s management, coaching staff and players, particularly former quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Additionally, Flores had a rocky relationship with owner Stephen Ross, which ended in Flores naming Ross in a lawsuit, claiming Ross offered him money to intentionally lose games during the 2019 season in order to help Miami land a top pick in the upcoming draft.Flores also alleged a pattern of racist hiring practices by the league and racial discrimination.
Mike McDaniel’s Hiring
Despite Miami’s team being competitive and narrowly missing out on the postseason for two years in a row, the Dolphins fired Flores. In his place, Miami hired Mike McDaniel, even though they were the only team to give him a head coaching interview.
The Dolphins believed McDaniel, who had spent time with Kyle Shanahan, could elevate Miami’s offense and maximize Tagovailoa, while defensive coordinator Josh Boyer could replicate some of the defensive success Flores had in Miami.
With McDaniel, the Dolphins made the postseason in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 2000 and 2001 seasons. Unfortunately, the team failed to end their playoff win drought, and then regressed in the 2024 season.
Despite what Baker posted, the Dolphins reached a higher level with McDaniel, as Flores never made the postseason with Miami and also regressed in his last season. Now, new head coach Jeff Hafley will step into a similar situation to the one Flores entered in 2019. He will be in charge of coaching a team without many expectations in his first season. Dolphins fans will hope his tenure has a better ending than the one Flores had.