Statement from Miami Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross

“We have been careful in our statements and in our comments, as we have not wanted to make a rush to judgment until we know all of the facts.  We still don’t have a full picture of the facts.  However, I want to be clear, that I and the Miami Dolphin organization are committed to getting to the bottom of this issue and making any necessary changes to improve our organization.

In the past two weeks, our primary concern has been for Jonathan Martin.  Immediately after learning that Jonathan left the team, I spoke with Head Coach Joe Philbin and Joe visited with Jonathan in person that evening.  Over the ensuing days, both Joe and I reached out to Jonathan to express our concern and to offer our support.  Jonathan and I have exchanged texts as recently as this weekend, and I am scheduled to meet with him in person to see how he is doing and to listen to his concerns.

As I noted last week, I reached out to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and asked him to conduct an independent review of these allegations and I am grateful that Ted Wells will be leading the effort.  We have pledged our full cooperation in that endeavor.

In addition, last week, we began our own internal review of policies and procedures to determine if there are immediate areas which can be improved upon.  I have asked President and CEO Tom Garfinkel to lead this effort.  Joe Philbin is a big part of that review process.  Joe is a man of high character who routinely communicates to our players our expectations of behavior and he espouses the values that we stand behind.   He genuinely cares about our players—you can see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice.

A final step is the creation of an independent advisory group to review our current organizational conduct policies and to make recommendations on areas for improvement.  I have asked former NFL Head Coaches Don Shula and Tony Dungy, along with former players Dan Marino, Curtis Martin and Jason Taylor, to be a part of this group and we will announce further additions in the coming days.  Together, these men bring integrity, respect and diverse experiences to the discussion, some having just recently retired from the locker room.  Joe Philbin and others will be a part of the process, as will current Dolphin players.  I want to be clear: this effort is to improve the Miami Dolphins only and is not intended to be a blueprint for other franchises.  The working group will begin its charge after the season.

The NFL locker room is a special place, no doubt, but that does not mean that different rules of decency and respect should be in play.  Winning championships is what we are all about, but we cannot do so if any of our family members are challenged from reaching their potential. I want to thank the Dolphin fans and alumni for their patience as we work towards a stronger organization.