Through five weeks of the 2026 NFL season, the league is down to three winless teams, and all three sit in the AFC. One of them already met another 0-5 club in Week 5, which at least trimmed the list a bit.
But make no mistake: starting 0-5 is almost always a brutal place to be. A team would probably need something like a 10-2 sprint over the final 12 games just to stay in the playoff conversation.
So which of the remaining winless teams is the best of a bad bunch? The Los Angeles Chargers get that label for now, and Miami comes in last among the three.
The Miami Dolphins are in a rough spot, and that might be putting it lightly. They were expected to be a poor team this season, but the slide has been even more severe than anticipated. At this point, it would not be a stretch to wonder whether they could flirt with a 0-17 finish.
There are a couple of reasons Miami isn’t completely hopeless in the long view. The team is still playing hard, and the early signs from the rookie class have been encouraging.
But none of that changes how ugly things look right now. The Dolphins have been flat-out abysmal.
There is still a path for things to turn around down the line. Miami will likely have one of the top two picks in the 2027 NFL Draft and is almost certain to land a top quarterback prospect. If that quarterback hits, a lot of the other problems could fade quickly.
For now, though, the Dolphins are the kind of team opponents circle as a get-right game. That is the reality in Miami at the moment. It is a harsh one, but if the front office makes the right moves and shows patience, there is still a chance for real optimism later on.
In Other News...
Dolphins Could Be Headed For A Brutal QB Decision In 2027
The Dolphins are already forced to think beyond a rough 0-5 start, and that means quarterback planning has started to bleed into conversations about the 2027 NFL Draft. With uncertainty surrounding Malik Willis as anything more than a short-term answer, Miami is doing what teams in this spot often do: scanning the horizon for a quarterback class that could eventually reset the franchises timeline.
One name that keeps surfacing is Arch Manning, whose college arc has been uneven enough to complicate his draft stock after once looking like a cant-miss prospect. Miami would still have to weigh whether the long view is worth the risk, especially with the memory of other highly regarded passers who took time to find their footing before settling in as franchise pieces. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Suddenly Face A Trade Deadline Path Fans Wont Like
The early-season slump has already pushed the conversation around Miami beyond lineup tweaks and into bigger roster questions. ESPN insider Adam Schefter recently grouped the Dolphins with the Cardinals, Chargers and Titans as teams that could be worth watching as the NFL trade deadline approaches, a sign that a rough start can quickly change the way front offices think about the rest of the season.
Miami has already shown it is willing to make difficult moves, including dealing Jaylen Waddle as part of a broader set of roster changes. With Arizona having moved Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Texans for future draft picks and the other teams in that group also dealing with their own losses and injuries, the looming deadline could become less about chasing a quick fix and more about how much each club is willing to rethink its long-term direction. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Face A Risky Austin Jackson Decision After 0-5 Start
With the Dolphins off to a 0-5 start, the front office suddenly has a delicate decision looming on the offensive line. Austin Jackson is in the final year of his contract, and Miami has until Nov. 10 to decide whether to move him, a call that could carry more weight because the teams bye week gives it a little extra time to sort through the consequences.
The problem is what comes after Jackson, because the depth chart does not offer much comfort. Caedan Wallace is the most likely immediate replacement, but he has only two career starts, and the other tackle options behind him are even less experienced, which makes any move feel far riskier than a typical deadline trade. [Read more 🡒]