Chris Grier facts for kids

Christopher Grier (born March 24, 1970) is a leader in American football. He is the general manager for the Miami Dolphins team in the National Football League (NFL). He has held this important job since 2016. Chris Grier first joined the Dolphins in 2000. Before becoming general manager, he worked in different roles, mostly finding new players for the team. He also worked for the New England Patriots from 1994 to 1999.

Early Life and Family

Chris Grier comes from a family involved in sports. His father, Bobby Grier, also worked in the NFL. Bobby was a leader for the Houston Texans from 2000 to 2016. Before that, he worked for the New England Patriots in many roles. He was a coach and helped find players. Chris worked with his father at the Patriots until 1999.

Chris's brother, Mike Grier, is also a general manager, but in ice hockey. Mike is the general manager for the San Jose Sharks in the National Hockey League. He used to be a professional hockey player himself. He played for teams like the Edmonton Oilers and the Washington Capitals.

Chris Grier went to the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He studied journalism there. While in college, he played football for two years. For his last two years, he helped the football team as an assistant.

Working in Football

Starting with the Patriots

Chris Grier began his career with the New England Patriots. He started as an intern in 1994. An intern is like a helper who learns the ropes. In 1995, he became a regional scout. This meant he traveled to find talented new players in a specific area.

During his time with the Patriots, the team reached the Super Bowl XXXI. This was in 1997, but they lost to the Green Bay Packers. Chris worked with famous coaches like Bill Parcells and Pete Carroll while he was with the Patriots.

Leading the Dolphins

In 2000, Chris Grier moved to the Miami Dolphins. For three years, he was an area scout, still looking for players. In 2003, he got a promotion. He became a national scout and helped lead the college scouting team. This meant he looked for college players all over the country.

By 2007, he was the director of college scouting. He held this job for many years. During his first 15 years with the Dolphins, he worked with several head coaches. These included Dave Wannstedt, Nick Saban, and Tony Sparano.

Becoming General Manager

On January 4, 2016, Chris Grier became the general manager of the Dolphins. This is a very important job. The general manager is in charge of the team's players, coaches, and overall football decisions. A few days later, the Dolphins hired Adam Gase as their new head coach.

One of Grier's first big moves was a trade. He traded the Dolphins' first pick in the 2016 draft. This pick was number eight overall. In return, the Dolphins got players Kiko Alonso and Byron Maxwell. They also got another first-round pick, number 13 overall. This trade helped the team get new talent.

Team Performance and Key Players

Since Grier became general manager, the Dolphins have had four winning seasons. They have also made the playoffs twice. In 2016, they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Playoff. In 2022, they made the playoffs again. This time, they lost to their rivals, the Buffalo Bills.

Grier has also overseen changes in head coaches. He has worked with Adam Gase, Brian Flores, and Mike McDaniel. In 2018, Grier decided to let go of coach Adam Gase. In 2019, he hired Brian Flores as the new head coach.

In 2020, Grier made a big decision in the NFL draft. He chose quarterback Tua Tagovailoa from Alabama. Tua was the fifth player picked overall. This was the highest a Dolphins quarterback had been drafted since 1967.

In the 2021 draft, Grier picked two more important players. He drafted wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, also from Alabama. He also picked linebacker Jaelan Phillips from Miami. These picks turned out to be very successful. Waddle broke a record for catches by a rookie. Phillips became the first rookie in a long time to get many sacks in a few games.

In 2022, the Dolphins' owner decided to let go of coach Brian Flores. This was because of disagreements between Flores and the team's leaders and players. However, the owner decided to keep Chris Grier as general manager. This made Grier the longest-serving general manager for the Dolphins since 2004. He is also the fourth-longest-serving general manager in the team's history.