If the Miami Dolphins don’t win out, they will most likely end up missing the postseason for the second year in a row. This will mean the NFL’s longest playoff win drought will go on for at least another season.
Perhaps this is why ESPN’s Dan Graziano described the Dolphins as a team that’s “headed into a transition period.” He said this while speaking of head coach Mike McDaniel’s potential job security heading into the offseason. On this topic, Graziano said, “There are a number of people in the league who think Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel could be saving his job with a strong finish. The Dolphins fired GM Chris Grier at a low point of their season, but held onto McDaniel, who’s well-liked in the building and by team ownership.”
The Miami Dolphins’ Future
GettyDe’Von Achane
For the Dolphins, heading into another rebuild seems inevitable. Fans may be disappointed by this as it signifies yet another failed rebuild by the team. When the team made the decision to trade franchise left tackle Laremy Tunsil in 2019 for significant draft capital, fans hoped it would be the beginning of a new era. While four winning seasons did come out of that, the team failed to win their first playoff game since 2000.
Their rebuild in 2019 came with the hope that it would lead to long-term sustained winning for the team. Unfortunately, with the decline of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, this no longer seems like a feasible result. Right now, it seems that the contract extension given by the team to Tagovailoa prior to the 2024 season was a mistake. His salary dictates he will likely remain under center for the team, or play elsewhere while Miami is forced to absorb a majority of his contract and have a significant amount of their cap allocated to it.
With the Dolphins playing themselves out of a top draft pick, they’re likely not in range to select either of the upcoming top quarterback prospects in the draft. Selling Dolphins fans on another year of Tua Tagovailoa and Mike McDaniel will be a tough pill to swallow, but as Graziano said, it’s not out of the picture. According to Graziano, “Dolphins ownership still thinks McDaniel can be a successful coach. It would not be a shock at all at this point to see him still coaching the Dolphins in 2026.”
Dolphins Building Blocks
The Miami Dolphins have had some solid play by some of their older players in the 2025 season. However, it’s fair to say that some of these players like Rasul Douglas, Darren Waller and Minkah Fitzpatrick don’t account for the Dolphins’ long-term plans. The first two players are set to be free agents and with Miami likely entering a rebuild, their returns are far from guaranteed. Fitzpatrick, on the other hand, has one year left on his contract, but it contains no guaranteed money, making him a release or trade candidate.
Due to former general manager Chris Grier’s trade-heavy approach, the Dolphins lack talent on rookie contracts. Star running back De’Von Achane is entering the final year of his rookie deal, meaning he’ll want an extension in the offseason. Chop Robinson has had a disappointing sophomore season, but he’s still got two years left on his rookie deal plus a fifth year option. Patrick Paul has been a steady force at a premier position, and he’s got two years left on his rookie deal. The rest of the players on rookie deals are mostly question marks.
The 2025 draft class has been up and down. Kenneth Grant and Jonah Savaiinaea have flashed at times, but it’s been far from perfect. Neither of the Dolphins’ first two selections should be viewed as good selections at the moment. As I said before, they’re question marks. Jordan Phillips has been one of the biggest surprises for the Dolphins, and is cementing himself as the gem of the class.
The Dolphins, as currently constructed, lack talent and they will have a new general manager in charge of fixing that issue. Who that is, we’re yet to see.
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