MIAMI GARDENS — My opinion of Miami Dolphins owner Steve Ross is shifting. The Dolphins’ ineptitude has accelerated since 2009, when Ross took ownership of the organization. The on-field product has been a disaster, and it’s getting worse.

I think the 85-year-old Ross, a local billionaire real estate developer who graduated from Miami Beach High School and now lives in Palm Beach, wants to win. I still think Ross gives a damn. I don’t question those two points.

I question Ross’ competence and awareness.

Ross’ approach to winning is often clumsy and short-sighted.

Fans have lost confidence in Ross. My faith is waning, and I’ve previously been a Ross supporter.

Ross can gain a measure of my faith back if he can successfully complete two tasks this offseason: 

— Hire a quality general manager;

— Convince fans that retaining coach Mike McDaniel is the right thing.

Ross absolutely, positively must get it right with this ongoing general manager hiring process and, most importantly, the actual hire. If not, he might not see the Dolphins win a playoff game in his lifetime. And he might lose a portion of the fanbase.

Speaking of losing a portion of the fan base, I’m anxious to see how Ross convinces them that it’s a good thing that McDaniel will be back in 2026.

Yes, McDaniel will be back.

He’ll even be involved in the GM hiring process. 

“I’m not curating the list. that’s not my decision,” McDaniel said Monday during his end-of-season news conference. “I think it’s in the best interest of everyone we hire the best person for the Miami Dolphins and the only thing I’m trying to do is aid, assist and help.”

So let me get this straight. McDaniel is involved in hiring his boss? This is so Dolphins.

By the way, Dolphins president Tom Garfinkel, and Brandon Shore, the senior vice president of football and business administration, will be involved in the hiring process along with Ross and Hall of Fame quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Dan Marino as well as McDaniel.

But back to McDaniel. His return highlights a major issue with Ross’ ownership tenure, and that’s that the Dolphins get too committed to the wrong people. McDaniel. Coach Joe Philbin. Quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Ryan Tannehill. Former general manager Chris Grier. The list goes on and on.

If I’m a Dolphins fan there’s no way I’d spend a cent of my hard-earned money on a McDaniel-led team in the 2026 season, a team that seems to be destined for mediocrity once again. What’s the point?

As for the GM, this is Ross’ first general manager hire since Dennis Hickey in 2014. None of them have been good whether it’s been Hickey, Mike Tannenbaum or Grier.

I have no reason to believe Ross, McDaniel or the Dolphins will find the right person.

I’m not alone.

Last week I spent about 40 minutes on the phone with a former NFL coordinator and assistant coach. He was ripping Ross and McDaniel up one side and down the other.

I didn’t try to defend McDaniel. His record of mediocrity speaks for itself. He’s 35-33 (.515) through four years, and 35-35 (.500) if you include his 0-2 playoffs record.

However, I tried to defend Ross because I don’t think he’s a bad owner, which is what many others think. I definitely think he could/should be a better owner. But I don’t think he’s a bad owner.

Regardless, the former coach went through the entire list of Ross allegations: Ross is only in it for the money. He doesn’t truly care about winning. He doesn’t know football. He’s OK with the Dolphins losing because he makes so much money off of F1 racing, tennis, the college football playoffs and other events at Hard Rock Stadium that he doesn’t need the Dolphins to be successful to make money. And he said that’s what Ross is about, the money.

The ex-coach said Ross messed up by involving Aikman to assist in the GM search while practically ignoring Marino (I like Aikman being involved; I’m told Marino’s voice will be heard in this hire).

The former coach basically called Ross a bumbling fool.

These are all arguments and points of view that I’ve heard before from football folks and Dolphins fans.

The difference now is that the arguments against Ross are tougher to deny.

Ross’ thinking is tougher to understand.

His failures and shortcomings speak volumes.

Ross was fairly goofy in his courtships of coaches Jim Harbaugh and Sean Payton and quarterback Tom Brady. The Harbaugh courtship blew up in his face because coach Tony Sparano was under contract. Ross ended up giving Sparano a contract extension. The Payton and Brady courtships ended up costing the franchise draft picks.

The bully scandal happened on Ross’ watch.

His 2019 tank job (Tank for Tua) has blown up in his face. His team requires another major rebuild.

He didn’t have coach Brian Flores’ OK for the tank job, which led to major problems that included Flores’ firing and a pending lawsuit.

Ross approved ill-advised contract extensions after the 2023 season to Tagovailoa, wide receiver Tyreek Hill, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and McDaniel.

Ross’ coaching hires have left much to be desired.

His general manager hires have also left much to be desired.

He hasn’t won a playoff game. His teams only occasionally qualify for the playoffs.

Yeah, it’s been rough.

I have nothing against Ross. I’m not a Dolphins fan, so I have no skin in the game.

But from a professional standpoint, Ross is flailing and failing.

And I’m losing faith that this organization will do anything right any time soon.