Zach Sieler keeps saying the right things, but that doesn’t make him any less of a trade candidate.
With the NFL trade deadline looming, the Dolphins defensive tackle knows his name is floating around. Before a Week 7 game at the New York Jets, he addressed it directly.
"I know people say rumors or talk whatever this time of year, but I'm here focused playing games here, win as a Dolphin, man," Sieler said before a Week 7 game at the New York Jets.
Sieler, 31, has spent eight seasons in Miami and wears a captain’s label for a reason. He’s built his reputation on effort, toughness and consistency. He’s the kind of player coaches love because he shows up the same way every day and sets the tone without making a spectacle of it.
He’s also the sort of veteran a team in Miami’s position can’t ignore when other clubs come calling. With 37.5 career sacks, Sieler could be useful to a contender trying to get through the stretch run and into the playoffs. He has appeared in 113 regular season games and only one playoff game.
When asked whether he’d be open to leaving for a contender, Sieler stayed on message.
"I love it here. I've been here for how long? I want to win here as a Dolphin," he said.
He also spoke highly of Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley.
Still, the Dolphins’ direction points toward hard choices. Sullivan, in our view, has to seriously weigh moving Sieler, and not just him. If other teams call, almost anyone on the roster has to be part of the conversation.
Austin Jackson? Sure.
Josh Uche? Yep.
Jaylen Wright? Why not.
JuJu Brents? Well ― you have to listen.
The Dolphins have made 2026 decisions with the long-term health of the franchise in mind, and that means Sullivan has to be open to deals that bring back draft capital. If a team offers a mid-round pick or a favorable pick swap, he has to listen. He probably has to act.
That’s true even if the move creates a domino effect on the roster. Trading Sieler would mean more snaps for Zeek Biggers, Kenneth Grant and Jordan Phillips.
Moving Jackson could open the door for Kadyn Proctor to slide to right tackle or for Caedan Wallace to enter the lineup there. If Jaylen Wright is dealt, Kaytron Allen could move into the RB2 role.
The larger goal is to stockpile picks for 2027 and 2028 as the franchise tries to turn the corner. Right now, the Dolphins do not have a huge stash.
Sullivan is expected to explore every avenue to add selections, even ones outside the first two rounds. A third, fourth, fifth or sixth-round pick all have value, especially if the cost is only a lower pick in return.
The Dolphins believe Sullivan can draft well, and ownership believes in him too.
As Sieler put it recently: "I'm excited to see this team growing and where we're going and get some wins."
But the reality of the situation is hard to miss. It’s unlikely Miami wins more than a few games in 2026, and that’s why Sullivan is likely to have every phone charged on Nov. 10, trade deadline day.
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Austin Jackson has surfaced as one of the more intriguing possibilities in that mix, while Wrights status only adds another layer to the discussion around how aggressive Miami might want to be. The deadline always brings some noise, but in this case the noise is tied directly to players the Dolphins know well and a roster that is still very much being evaluated for both the short term and what comes next. [Read more 🡒]