The Miami Dolphins are coming off a disastrous year. When the season started, it seemed that head coach Mike McDaniel had the team on his hands that could challenge the Buffalo Bills for the AFC East title and make a run at the Super Bowl.
All they needed was a little bit of a downturn from the Kansas City Chiefs and perhaps the Baltimore Ravens. The Dolphins got both of those events to happen, but none of it mattered. Instead of pushing the Bills, the Dolphins fell flat on their faces.
Miami lost its first three games of the season, getting pounded in the opener by the Indianapolis Colts and losing to the New England Patriots and upstart Bills. After beating the Jets in Week 4, the Dolphins lost 3 more games in a row. At 1-6, their season was over and it was just a matter of time until owner Stephen Ross got rid of McDaniel. The Dolphins finished the year with a 7-10 record and in 3rd place in the AFC East.
One of the key issues for the Dolphins was quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The former Alabama quarterback has been troubled by concussions throughout his 6-year career. His performance has been diminished as a result. Tagovailoa ended up having his worst season with the Dolphins in 2025.
He completed 260 of 384 passes for 2,660 yards with just 20 TD passes and a career-worst 15 interceptions. Tagovailoa struggled to get away from the pass rush and he was sacked 30 times.
In addition to getting rid of McDaniel, the Dolphins went for a complete makeover. Tagovailoa is almost certain to be with a new team next season as his expiration date with the Dolphins has passed. It looks like it is just a matter of time before they let him go.
Dolphins change their leadership
The Dolphins will have a new look and a new philosophy under new leadership.
The Dolphins have hired Jon-Eric Sullivan as their new general manager and Jeff Hafley as their next head coach. Hafley was the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. The Dolphins are going to give this duo to the power to remake the franchise in their own image and it almost certainly means finding a new QB1.
They should be looking at a quarterback in the NFL Draft as well as a veteran free agent who can take the reins from the start.
While Hafley has not been a head coach in the NFL, insiders report that he relates extremely well to his players and they will run through a wall for him. The Dolphins are going to have to make several key free-agent signings. In this piece, we look at three who can help turn the situation in South Florida around.
WR George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys
Pickens may be a lot more than a sneaky good free-agent signing, but since the Dolphins are ready to remake their team under their new leadership, they need to make at least one major signing.
Pickens may be the best offensive free agent available after a brilliant season with the Cowboys. He had 93 catches for 1,429 yards and 9 touchdowns. His 4-year, $6.75 million rookie contract has come to an end and he is about to get the full bag.
Of course, the Cowboys have the option of hitting him with the franchise tag, but that has not worked out very well for Jerry Jones. He ended up having to trade Micah Parsons to the Packers after creating ill will with his best player and the Cowboys did not recover.
The Dolphins should be able to come at Pickens with a dynamic offer and make him the centerpiece of the receiving crew. They have released Tyreek Hill and they need a new go-to wideout who can stretch the defense and make multiple big plays.
CB Alontae Taylor, New Orleans Saints
Alontae Taylor can give the Dolphins' secondary a boost. He was a second-round draft choice out of Tennessee in 2022, and he is coming off a solid season in which he had a career-best 93 tackles along with 2 interceptions, 11 passes defensed, 7 tackles for loss and 3 quarterback hits.
At 6-0 and 199 pounds, Taylor has the size to cover bigger receivers and he is also a solid hitter. He is very dependable, having played in all 17 games each of the last 3 seasons and he started 16 games last year. Hafley should be able to get the most out of him if he signs with the Dolphins.
RB Rico Dowdle, Carolina Panthers
A defensive-oriented coach like Hafley will want to control the ball and control the clock. Nothing will help a team accomplish those goals like a competent running game.
Dowdle is coming off a pair of 1,000-yard seasons. He carried the ball 235 times last year for 1,076 yards and 6 touchdowns. Dowdle also had 39 receptions for 297 yards and 1 TD. He was one of the primary reasons the Panthers made the playoffs last year and he could be an excellent pick-up for the Dolphins.
