South Florida always has a lot going on, but this one is even more unexpected for the Dolphins. It’s a fresh start at the front desk in Miami. A Hall of Fame quarterback is now being brought in to help the organisation choose the next person to hold the keys. For a long time, the old script didn’t end with confetti. This move screams a new direction.

NFL Network says that Troy Aikman is helping Miami with its search for a general manager. The goal is to give the team a respected outside view as it decides what to do next. Mike McDaniel was glad to have the extra information, and he had already been told that ownership was moving.

And yes, this is also the kind of sports ecosystem where fans track every ripple, rumor, and betting chatter that rides shotgun with NFL Sundays. That same pace is why some fans end up looking into no KYC sports betting. There are plenty of no-verification betting sites out there, but the reputable guides all push the same common-sense play. Know your local rules first, then keep your own guardrails tight. That matters in a Dolphins reset week because the news cycle can flip in a heartbeat, and the whole point of reduced friction is reacting quickly without getting dragged into sloppy, emotional decisions.

If you’re keeping score at home, the headline is opposite from “Aikman is the GM.” NFL Network explicitly notes he’s not considered a candidate, and that the expectation is he’ll sit in on interviews and help shape the search with his league-wide relationships. That detail matters because it frames this as a consultant role rather than Miami trying to turn a broadcaster into a front office boss overnight.

This is what the Dolphins want to say about how they want to do this. They’re getting a new general manager after Chris Grier’s departure on October 31. Champ Kelly, who is in charge of personnel, is filling in as interim general manager. When the Aikman news came out, Miami was 7–9 and about to play their last game of the season at New England. That record doesn’t matter. There have been changes to the roster for years, and still no playoff win to show for it.

So why Aikman? Miami’s logic is straightforward on paper. Ownership wants an outside perspective from someone with deep relationships across the league. Aikman has been plugged into the NFL’s weekly bloodstream for decades as both a former star and a current top broadcast voice. A GM search is not just résumés and interview answers. Its background checks are done through trusted people. More importantly, it’s the answer to this question: “What’s this person actually like when the draft clock is melting?” 

The profile that Miami is after is another clue. NFL Network says that the Dolphins want the next general manager to have a lot of experience with scouting. Interviews should start next week. That’s a quiet but clear signal. It seems like Miami wants the next era to be built around evaluating talent, not just fiddling with contracts and caps. It’s impossible to fake scouting in a league where the difference between teams is so small. Especially in a division where heavyweights keep coming out.

Here’s the part that should stand out to people who work in Florida sports desks. The Dolphins are treating this like a franchise hinge point, not a normal vacancy. A Hall of Famer shouldn’t be hired as a consultant unless you want to change the mood of the room. Making this public means they know that “business as usual” wasn’t getting them where they need to go.

Additionally, AP points out a second level. Aikman isn’t going to show up as an unbiased outsider who has never said anything bad about the Dolphins. He called Miami’s game against Pittsburgh in December and criticized McDaniel’s clock management. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t like Daniel, but he won’t be there to pose for pictures and sign off on the house plan. The only thing it really means is that Miami wants people to say the uncomfortable part out loud.

In this case, the GM search turns into a philosophy. Are the Dolphins making a mean player? Are they putting together a chess team? Are they making a machine that will lose badly in December and January? When the NFL Network says that the consultant role is similar to how Washington used Bob Myers in its searches a few years ago, it means that Miami is basically following the “bring in a proven people judge” playbook, even though the sport is different.

The real question for Dolphins fans isn’t whether Aikman goes to a meeting or not. That’s the kind of consultant in the GM search who gets the job after this process. You can expect the short list to include executives who are known for getting draft picks, having strict rules about staff, and having a clear internal process. Not just “I can talk ball,” but “I know how to run a department that makes smart choices when no one is looking.” And the fact that interviews are likely to start soon also means that Miami is trying to get ahead of the competition before the job market heats up and the best candidates are snapped up by other employers. 

It’s also important to remember that Florida is living in a world of split-screen sports right now. In one corner is the NFL’s weekly urgency, where one hiring choice can change the course of a decade. On the other hand, fan ecosystems move as quickly as social media, with rumors, clips, hot takes, and betting angles added to every drive. 

The fact that the Dolphins signed Troy Aikman is news because it’s not common. It’s also a headline because it lets you know that Miami needs to make this next hire. The AFC doesn’t let mistakes go, and South Florida doesn’t wait around when the chance comes up.

John Higgins and Judd Trump will face off in Saturday’s first semi-final after coming through quarter-finals of contrasting quality.

Higgins, 50, rolled back the years with a superb comeback from 5–3 down to defeat the current world champion Zhao Xintong, while Trump continued this year’s dominant 6–2 theme by beating Mark Allen in a match that proved far tougher than the scoreline suggested.

Higgins stops world champion Zhao with thrilling comeback

John Higgins 6 – 5 Zhao Xintong (best of 11 frames)

John Higgins proved he can still stand toe to toe with the very best, producing a tenacious fightback from 5–2 down to claim a remarkable victory in the deciding frame.

Zhao Xintong, playing fearlessly in his first Masters quarter-final, looked the more fluent of the two in the early frames, compiling breaks of 89 and 74. But John Higgins dug in to keep the match level after six frames, helped by a superb century break of 114.

Errors in the seventh and eighth frames allowed Zhao to move to the brink of the semi-finals, but Higgins summoned every ounce of experience to claw back the deficit and force a deciding frame.

The final frame appeared to be going Zhao’s way until he missed a long red to bring his break to an end at 53. John Higgins stepped in, cleared the table, and sealed a dramatic victory to reach his first Masters semi-final since 2018.

Trump finds just enough form to edge out Allen

Judd Trump 6 – 2 Mark Allen

The second semi-final proved a less enthralling affair, with neither Judd Trump nor Mark Allen producing their best.

World number one Judd Trump appeared to struggle with his positional play early on, but Mark Allen, who was playing the better of the two, failed to capitalise as the opening four frames were shared.

The match, dominated by prolonged safety exchanges, gradually tipped in Trump’s favour as he proved the more positive and clinical, reeling off four straight frames after the mid-session interval.

Trump will need to raise his level for Saturday’s meeting with Higgins, but it is likely to be a more fluid contest than his match against Allen, given the contrast in tempo between the two opponents.