The Miami Dolphins just pulled a head-scratcher, bringing back quarterback Mark Gronowski on Sunday, barely nine days after they showed him the door. This move screams “what are we doing here?” especially coming right after their preseason opener, a rough 20-7 smackdown courtesy of the Washington Commanders. You gotta wonder if that dismal performance had Miami looking for any spark they could find.
Gronowski’s Wild Ride Back to South Florida
Gronowski’s story is already wild, man. The dude signs as an undrafted free agent back in May, gets waived on August 7, then apparently takes a quick detour for a tryout with the Colts on Saturday, only to get scooped *back* up by Miami. Talk about a whirlwind week! This isn’t some scrub either; Gronowski’s a winner. He absolutely tore it up in college, snagging two Football Championship Subdivision national championships at South Dakota State and even bagging the Walter Payton Award as FCS’s top offensive player in 2023. Then he makes the jump to Iowa for the 2025 season, slinging for 1,751 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven picks in 13 games. Get this: his 58 combined victories at South Dakota State and Iowa? That’s the most wins for any starting quarterback in NCAA history. So, why did they let a dude with that kind of winning pedigree walk for a minute, especially with an offense that looked so flat against Washington?
Miami’s Roster Shuffle Continues After Opening Loss
But Gronowski isn’t the only new face, or in his case, *returned* face. The Dolphins also inked linebacker Cam Riley. Riley’s another undrafted guy, previously with the Patriots in 2025 and then chilling on the Titans practice squad last year. He had college stints at Auburn and Florida State before that. To make space for these guys, Miami had to shuffle the deck big time. Offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer, who they signed as a free agent in March, got moved to the injured reserve list. That’s a brutal blow; Salyer’s a veteran, 64 career games, 40 starts at left tackle and right guard since being a 2022 sixth-round pick out of Georgia. This IR move essentially punts his entire season before it even had a chance to start. Tough break for him and the O-line. They also waived cornerback Ethan Robinson, an undrafted rookie who saw nine special teams snaps in two games last year, with an injury designation. These early preseason roster moves tell you they’re still tweaking, still searching for answers all over the place.
So, with Gronowski back in the fold, maybe they’re looking for more options, more competition after that ugly loss. The Dolphins are now gearing up for Preseason Week 2, heading into a matchup against the New York Giants. Before that game, they’ve got a joint practice scheduled with the Giants on Thursday, which is even open to the public as part of their training camp. You gotta wonder if Gronowski will get some serious reps there, trying to show Miami what they almost missed out on again. Every snap, every drill, it’s all about making that final roster, and for the Dolphins, it feels like they’re still figuring out who their guys are, especially at QB after that opening faceplant.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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