After Bill Parcells quit his job as Dolphins V.P. of football operations, owner Stephen Ross reportedly told G.M. Jeff Ireland that former Chiefs president/G.M. Carl Peterson wouldn’t be taking over Parcells’ job. A year later, a growing number of league insiders believe that Peterson eventually will be taking over Ireland’s job.
Peterson and Ross have a lengthy relationship. From a business standpoint, they have been working together most recently on the FanVision product, a handheld video device that is used in certain stadiums. From a football standpoint, Peterson served nearly 30 years ago as G.M. of the USFL’s Philadelphia Stars, which were owned by Ross.
Since most owners have no independent football knowledge, they have to rely on others for advice and counsel. When it comes to evaluating the G.M. and/or coach, an owner needs to rely on someone else, and it’s widely believed that Ross is relying on Peterson.
Peterson has been spotted at multiple Dolphins’ games. Most recently, Peterson was seen at MetLife Stadium on Monday, where the Dolphins fell to 0-5 against the Jets.
The working theory is that Peterson will, at a minimum, be heavily involved in selecting the next G.M. and coach. Or Peterson will be the next G.M., at which time he could round up various former Chiefs officials, like Denny Thum and Bill Kuharich, who currently aren’t employed by NFL teams.
Peterson also has a connection to former Steelers coach Bill Cowher, given that Cowher worked in Kansas City as an assistant coach before becoming the head coach in Pittsburgh. And with Ross reportedly wanting a superstar coach, Peterson could be instrumental in luring Cowher to Miami.
If Cowher ends up being the coach, Peterson may have to step aside from the day-to-day football operations, since Cowher likely will want to run the show with help from someone like Kevin Colbert or Omar Khan. From time to time over the past several years, we’ve heard that Colbert and Khan have gotten the word that Cowher could be heading back to the NFL.
It’s unknown whether Cowher is ready to return, or whether he’d be interested in the Dolphins. But the belief is getting stronger and stronger that Peterson will be instrumental in the direction of the franchise after the 2011 season ends.
We can only wonder how long it will be until Peterson properly christens his chair.