Troy Aikman is back in the league, bagging a special role. Everyone is aware that it was a rather bumpy ride for the Miami Dolphins this year on and off the pitch. They desperately needed something or someone to steer this ship. And of course, that starts with the General Manager. Chip Kelly remains as the interim manager following the firing of Chris Grier, and Miami has brought in a big name to their search team to find an ideal replacement: none other than one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Troy Aikman.

“The Miami Dolphins have brought on Hall-of-Fame QB and ESPN analyst Troy Aikman as a consultant to advise the organization on its general manager search process, per sources,” insider Adam Schefter wrote.

He added that his role in the search team isn’t a permanent one, but he will serve as an advisor throughout the hiring process for a new GM. And of course, while the role isn’t permanent, the effects would trickle down for years.

But you might be thinking: why not bring in Aikman as a GM himself? Well, there’s a lot more than what meets the eye.

Troy Aikman has never hidden the fact that the idea of running a front office has crossed his mind. Even so, he’s not being viewed as a candidate for the job in Miami. That was never the point. The value here is everything else he brings with him: the relationships and the access around the league.

As part of his role, Aikman is expected to sit in on interviews and be involved throughout the evaluation stage. But the Dolphins were never going to hand him the general manager title. They’re not in a position to experiment. What they want is someone who has done this job before, someone with a track record they can trust.

What is role would be is something very similar to Bob Myers’ role in the Commanders as an advisor in the buildout of the organizational infrastructure of the Commanders. Aikman will be relieved of his duties as soon as the Dolphins are successful in their hunt for the next GM.

Aikman only recently began working in this advisory capacity, and nothing else about his professional life is changing. He will remain ESPN’s lead NFL analyst, continuing his weekly broadcast duties while assisting Stephen Ross in the search. At roughly $18 million a year from ESPN, it’s not difficult to understand why broadcasting isn’t going anywhere for him.

But that doesn’t mean that Aikman’s role isn’t important.

Why Aikman’s search role is pivotal

The reset became official on Oct. 31, when the Dolphins moved on from Grier after more than nine seasons in charge. During that span, Miami failed to win a playoff game, extending a drought that now sits at 25 years. Grier was an internal promotion, and notably, the Dolphins haven’t conducted a full general manager search since they hired Dennis Hickey back in 2014.

This time, they’re casting a wider net, and they’re treating it like the inflection point it is. Miami already has a Hall of Fame quarterback inside the building. Dan Marino has long served as an advisor to Vice Chairman, President, and CEO Tom Garfinkel. So it’s fair to ask why they’d bring in another. The simple answer is that Aikman offers a different lens.

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As for the search itself, several names are already circulating as potential candidates for 2026. Among them are Alec Halaby of the Philadelphia Eagles, Ray Agnew from the Detroit Lions, Josh Williams of the San Francisco 49ers, and Jon-Eric Sullivan with the Green Bay Packers.

Dolphins know how important this decision is. Aikman was part of a Cowboys team that won everything there was to win. He knows how successful teams are run. So yes, Aikman’s inputs will be valued in gold.

What this also means is that the process won’t move quickly. With Aikman just now being folded into the search, there’s still a lot of ground to cover. A final decision isn’t expected anytime soon. It could take months. It might even stretch into the end of next offseason.