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It’s tough being a Miami Dolphins fan. The team last won a Super Bowl in the 70s, and nothing of note has come out of Stephen Ross’ ownership of the team. He is now 86, and is running a franchise that desperately needs a new perspective to sustain itself. However, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, a change of hands seems to have already taken place.

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“I was having a conversation with someone who covers the team at the league meetings, and the impression I got is Ross is basically tapped out,” he said on the Dolphins Talk Podcast. “He’s done. He’s handed the baton to (Daniel) Sillman. And now it’s for Sillman to try to do better than what Steven Ross did during his 17 years as the controlling owner of the team.”

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Stephen Ross took over from Wayne Huizenga in 2009. Since then, the Dolphins have been remarkably unsuccessful, save for a few years. Under Ross’ leadership, Miami has seen only five winning seasons and has never been able to get past the Wild Card round in the playoffs. Five head coaches have been fired during his tenure, which has only seen one quarterback hold the starting position for more than three years straight (Tua Tagovailoa).

It was time Stephen Ross made way for a new change.

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“I’m fortunate,” Ross said in an interview with Bloomberg. “I will keep it in the family, my son-in-law, who is involved in sports. He worked for me before marrying my daughter. He is terrific, and he will run it. It will stay in the family.”

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Daniel Sillman is the CEO of Relevent Sports, which manages media rights for some of the top soccer competitions in Europe, per the Palm Beach Post. He is also on the board of directors for the Miami Host Committee this World Cup season.

Ross seemed to have handed over the baton to Sillman during the search for the Dolphins’ new general manager and head coach. The latter was part of the six-member team that hired Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan. Per insider Dave Hyde, Sillman was the “point man” when they were looking for the next GM.

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Originally, former vice chairman Bruce Beal was set to inherit the team, having already been deemed Ross’ successor. However, he was named in the tampering investigation involving Tom Brady and Sean Payton’s camp, and the succession plan collapsed. According to Pro Football Talk, the relationship between him and Ross soured so bad that the two “hated” each other. At that time, Sports Business Journal reported that Ross’ daughter, Jennifer, had been named his successor instead.

The NFL mandates a document that names a successor in situations like this. It is unclear if Sillman’s name has been fit into that document, but it looks like things are setting up for him to take control of the Dolphins.

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Written by

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Ishani Jayara

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Ishani Jayara is an NFL Writer at EssentiallySports, covering the league with a focus on team narratives, season arcs, and the evolving dynamics that shape professional football. Introduced to the sport through friends, what began as casual interest steadily grew into a deep engagement with the game, guiding her toward football journalism. A longtime San Francisco 49ers supporter, she brings an informed fan’s perspective while maintaining editorial balance in her reporting. Her path into sports media has been shaped by experience in fast-paced digital environments, where she learned to navigate breaking news cycles, long-form storytelling, and the demands of consistent publishing. Alongside this, her professional background in quality-focused roles sharpened her attention to detail, structure, and clarity, qualities that now define her editorial approach. At EssentiallySports, Ishani concentrates on unpacking key NFL moments, tracking shifting team identities, and connecting on-field performances with the broader narratives surrounding the league.

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Afreen Kabir

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