The 2025 campaign, for all intents and purposes, has been a complete wash for the Miami Dolphins. However, they have begun to generate some positive momentum as of late, as they have won their past three games to push their record to 5-7 on the season. A playoff push likely isn’t in the cards, but the Dolphins may have something they can build off of for the 2026 campaign.
Over the next few weeks, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see some of Miami’s younger players get a longer look from the team’s coaching staff. That won’t be the case for undrafted rookie wide receiver A.J. Henning, though, as he was suspended by the NFL on Thursday for an eye-opening reason.
Dolphins’ Wide Receiver A.J. Henning Gets Suspended by the NFL
Henning spent five years in college, playing for the Michigan Wolverines and Northwestern Wildcats. While he didn’t get much playing time with Michigan, Hennings found his way with Northwestern, and he put together a strong 2024 campaign (59 REC, 603 YDS, 4 TD) that helped put him on the radar of several NFL teams.
One of those teams was the Dolphins, who signed Henning as an undrafted free agent after the draft. Henning flashed his potential during training camp, and while he didn’t make the team’s initial 53-man roster, he did latch on with Miami’s practice squad, which is where he has spent the entire 2025 campaign to this point.
Henning has continued to work on developing behind the scenes, but he appears to have hit a major roadblock. Ahead of the Dolphins’ Week 14 action, the NFL announced that it had suspended Henning for an undisclosed number of games after he violated the league’s performance-enhancing substances policy.
“Dolphins practice squad WR AJ Henning has been suspended for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing substances, a league source confirmed to ESPN,” Marcel Louis-Jacques shared in a post on X. “Henning is a rookie UDFA out of Northwestern and has not played this season. He caught three passes for 34 yards this preseason.”
Dolphins Looking to Continue Winning Ways in Week 14
GettyMADRID, SPAIN – NOVEMBER 14: Mike McDaniel, Head Coach of Miami Dolphins, speaks to the media in the press conference ahead of their NFL 2025 game against Washington Commanders at Riyadh Air Metropolitano on November 14, 2025 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)
Henning’s absence won’t impact the Dolphins too much right now, but it’s fair to wonder if this will be the end of the line for him with the team. If Henning isn’t able to develop behind the scenes with Miami for the rest of the season, it’s tough to justify holding onto him, so it will be worth keeping tabs on his status in the wake of this announcement.
As for the rest of the team, their attention will be fully turned to Week 14, where another favorable matchup against the New York Jets awaits. While the Dolphins haven’t exactly been perfect as of late, they should be favored to take down a Jets team that has been even worse than them this year. Kickoff for this divisional matchup is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon.
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