On Friday, Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross confirmed that the Miami Dolphins agreed to terms with Green Bay Packers executive Jon-Eric Sullivan to lead the football operations department. Naturally, it quietly closed the door on interim GM Champ Kelly. After steadying the ship for Dolphin Nation, Kelly watched the permanent job go elsewhere. As a result, he was left heartbroken.

Turning to Instagram, the former interim GM opened up about the moment he had to share the news with his family.

“I gathered them together again; just before we said our prayers, I told them I didn’t get the job. I told them I had done my best but came up short, I told them not to worry. This didn’t mean we had to move. And I told them the truth: I am good. We are good,” he wrote.

Still, the disappointment ran deeper than one missed title. Emotionally and professionally, Kelly admitted the setback stung.

“This is a blow to confidence, but my faith is intact. Life doesn’t always reward the heart’s effort. Still, I am taking another step toward becoming. The journey is still the journey,” he wrote.

That forward-looking perspective is what fueled Kelly’s long journey to becoming a GM candidate, a path that began far from the NFL spotlight. After all, Kelly did not arrive here by accident. His resume gave him real weight in the Dolphins conversation. He started far from the NFL spotlight, grinding in the United Indoor Football League before breaking into the league in 2007 as a college scout with the Broncos in Mile High. From there, his path stayed steady and earned.

Kelly’s ascent was methodical, moving from assistant director of pro personnel in Denver to leading pro scouting for the Chicago Bears in 2015. His growing reputation eventually earned him the assistant GM role with the Las Vegas Raiders, where he even stepped in as interim GM before his Miami tenure.

So he had the resume, but the Dolphins’ owner, Ross, didn’t choose him. Yet despite the outcome, Kelly made one thing clear. There is no bitterness toward the franchise.

“Yet, I’m not angry. I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead. Grateful that I was trusted to lead through chaos again, Grateful for the staff and coaches who stood with me. Grateful for the fans, supporters, and non-supporters alike, Grateful for the players. Watching their sacrifice and work fed me. My respect for them is immense.”

For Dolphins Nation, that respect goes both ways. While Kelly processes the setback, the Dolphins are moving forward with their new hire, Jon-Eric Sullivan.

Stephen Ross explained why he picked Jon-Eric Sullivan over Champ Kelly

While the decision stirred mixed emotions across the Magic City, Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross did not hesitate to explain his choice. Speaking directly to the Dolphins Nation, Ross backed his new GM with confidence.

“I could not be more excited to welcome Jon-Eric Sullivan as our next general manager,” Ross said. “Jon-Eric brings a clear vision for how to build and run a football team, founded upon his own experience at a winning organization.”

So, for Ross, this move was about long-term belief, not short-term comfort. In fact, the Dolphins want a GM with more experience in the NFL. Sullivan arrives in Miami after a long journey of 22 years.

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He joined the Packers back in 2003 as a scouting intern, earned a full-time role a year later, and steadily rose through the ranks. Along the way, he handled everything from college scouting to player personnel leadership. By 2022, he stood as Green Bay’s vice president of player personnel, working closely with Brian Gutekunst for a team that reached the playoffs six times in seven seasons, a standard Cheeseheads expect.

Interestingly, Sullivan also addressed his new role.

“We will compete no matter the circumstances, with the ultimate goal of competing for division championships and Super Bowls,” he said.

“Our team-building process will intentional, disciplined, and sound. And we will do it together, with collaboration and hard work. It has always been and always will be a team sport. I can’t wait to get started.”

Meanwhile, his first test comes quickly. Sullivan now must lead the search for a new head coach after Miami fired Mike McDaniel as the season ended with a 7-10 finish in 2025. It was his second straight losing year after playoff runs in 2022 and 2023.

With Kelly’s chapter in Miami closed, let’s see how Sullivan and Ross shape the next season.