Troy Aikman Opens Up about His Role with Miami

Troy Aikman Opens Up about His Role with Miami

At the time of writing, it has been 9,228 days since the Miami Dolphins won a playoff game.

In that time, we’ve seen the team go through a myriad of coaching changes in an attempt to right the ship. From Dave Wannstedt to Tony Sparano to Adam Gase, Brian Flores, and Mike McDaniel, no one they’ve tried has worked out. 

In that time, they have attempted to bolster the team through splashy front office moves as well.

In 2008, they hired legendary head coach Bill Parcells to be their Executive VP of football operations, though he would only last until 2010. In 2014 they turned to their own legend Dan Marino to be a special advisor, in 2021 Tua Tagovailoa confirmed that Marino will sit in on quarterback meetings.

Despite these moves, the playoff drought continues, but their latest hire is looking to change that. 

Troy Aikman was the leader of the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s. The former first-overall pick led Dallas to 3 Super Bowl titles and was named to 6 Pro Bowls. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

If anyone knows about winning, it’s Aikman.

He is also in a unique position when it comes to connections due to his role as an analyst, first with Fox and currently with ESPN. That job has allowed him to network with the best and brightest minds in preparation for his day job. 

So when the Dolphins were once again looking to revamp their team this offseason, Aikman was hired to aid in their head coach search. In an interview for DLLS Sports with Clarence E. Hill Jr., Aikman shed light on the role he is playing in Miami and how his connections allow him to guide the team. 

“I think the Dolphins were wise in understanding my relationships around the league,” He said. “And knowing that I have information that they don’t have or can’t get. And I think they were smart in taking advantage of that — whether it was through me or through somebody else. The Cowboys have never elected to do that, at least with me. You know, maybe they have with others. But, no, I don’t feel there’s a conflict [with the Cowboys]. But I will say I’m pulling for the Dolphins . . . because now I have something at stake, and I think they hired two really talented, wonderful people, and I think that’s gonna prove itself out. . . But, yeah, I’m pulling for them. I want to see them do well because I feel like my fingerprints are on it as well.”

With Aikman now having skin in the game regarding the Dolphins’ success, he will leverage his relationships and access to information Miami would otherwise be unable to obtain. We’re in a strange new world with Tom Brady, a commentator who owns a part of the Raiders, opening the floodgates for analysts to become involved with teams.

It is certainly a grey area in terms of what constitutes a potential conflict of interest, but in allowing Brady to work for Fox and own a part of Las Vegas, the league has put itself in a bit of a quagmire. I think that hiring Aikman has shown that the Dolphins are more committed to winning than ever. While the league says they will address Aikman’s involvement in due time, it is the right call to take full advantage of the access to information he has while they can.

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