Tom Garfinkel steps down as Dolphins CEO, Daniel Sillman takes over

Big shakeup in Miami. Tom Garfinkel is stepping away from his role as President and CEO of the Dolphins after 13 years running the business side of the organization, and owner Stephen Ross is already lining up his replacement.

Garfinkel isn't leaving the building entirely. He's staying on as Vice Chairman of the Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium, plus Managing Partner of the Miami Grand Prix — which makes sense given he's the guy who reportedly spearheaded the $550 million stadium renovation and helped land the F1 race, the Miami Open, Super Bowl LIV and College Football Playoff games in South Florida over his tenure. That's a legit resume for a guy who was never coaching a snap.

So who's stepping into the football-ops chair? Ross tapped Daniel Sillman, who's been by his side for the past decade, to become CEO of the newly formed Ross Sports & Entertainment umbrella — which covers the Dolphins, the stadium, and the rest of Ross' portfolio. Reportedly Sillman is also Ross' son-in-law, married to his daughter Kimberly, and co-founded Relevent Sports, where he negotiated billion-dollar media deals for LaLiga and UEFA. Now he's the one Jeff Hafley, GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and EVP Brandon Shore all answer to.

That's the real headline here: for the first time, football operations in Miami run through someone with direct family ties to ownership. Hafley is entering a pivotal stretch trying to build the roster around Tua Tagovailoa, and now he's reporting to a new boss who's never run a football business before — even if he's clearly trusted in the building.

This isn't a firing or a scandal, at least not on the surface — Garfinkel reportedly said it was simply the right time after 13 years, and Ross praised Sillman's grasp of the organization's culture and direction. But any time an owner installs family in charge of football decisions, it's worth watching how that power dynamic plays out once the losses start piling up, or the wins do.