MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins just added some heavy artillery to their war room. General manager Jon-Eric Sullivan officially hired former Tennessee Titans GM Jon Robinson as a senior personnel executive on Monday. Robinson returns to an NFL front office for the first time since his stunning exit from Nashville in 2022. He brings seven years of team-building experience, two AFC South titles, and a massive neon arrow pointing directly at a highly coveted free-agent quarterback.
Robinson built a physical bully in Tennessee. From 2016 to 2021, his Titans won between nine and 12 games every single year. They hit hard, ran the ball down opponents’ throats, and dominated the division. But you cannot discuss Robinson’s resume without dissecting the trade that ultimately cost him his job.
During the 2022 NFL Draft, Robinson shipped superstar receiver A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles for a first- and third-round pick. He spent that 18th overall selection on Arkansas wideout Treylon Burks. Burks flopped completely and hit the waiver wire last October. Brown, on the other hand, humiliated the Titans in Week 13 of the 2022 season, catching eight passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-10 blowout. Two days later, Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk cleaned house. Robinson spent the last three years in the wilderness, narrowly missing out on GM jobs with the Jets in 2024 and the Jaguars in early 2025.
You can almost feel the temperature rising in the Miami front office. After wiping the slate clean in January by dismissing Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel following a brutal 7-10 season, the Dolphins are building a brain trust with very specific DNA. Sullivan came directly from the Green Bay Packers. Head coach Jeff Hafley came from Green Bay, too.
Now, look at the timeline. Robinson’s final draft in Tennessee included a third-round flyer on Liberty quarterback Malik Willis at 86th overall. Willis struggled early in his career but entirely resurrected his stock over the last two seasons as Jordan Love’s backup for the Packers. Hafley watched Willis develop firsthand as Green Bay’s defensive coordinator. Sullivan helped build the roster around him. Now, Robinson—the man who originally drafted Willis—is in the building. Willis hits the open market in two weeks, and Miami desperately needs a starting quarterback to lead this 2026 reset.
“He was the best player on the board, and excited to add him to the team. … Good arm, athletic, moves around well. Got a really good skillset. Throws a good ball. He is tough to tackle.”
— Jon Robinson, assessing Malik Willis after the 2022 NFL Draft
March free agency will dictate Miami’s entire 2026 draft strategy. The Dolphins hold the No. 11 overall pick. If Sullivan, Hafley, and Robinson unite to sign Willis, Miami instantly bypasses the rookie quarterback lottery. They can use that premium draft capital to build a wall around their new signal-caller or draft an elite pass rusher to fit Hafley’s aggressive defensive scheme.
Robinson will operate as Sullivan’s right-hand man. The Dolphins are not asking him to make the final call; they are asking him to be a battle-tested voice. Robinson knows how to build a physical roster from the inside out, and his presence solidifies Miami’s intent to abandon the finesse style of the past few years for a much more punishing brand of football.
