The Miami Dolphins have been forced to keep reshuffling their leadership group, and this time the change came with a twist. After losing three of their six captains to injury this season - including Zach Sieler and Malik Willis, who are now on IR, plus De'Von Achane earlier in the year - the team has added Josh Uche as a new captain for the rest of the season.
Jeff Hafley said the move wasn’t originally planned, but the captains themselves pushed for it. On Wednesday, he made the decision official in front of the team and told reporters Uche acknowledged the honor with a nod.
"They (the captains) came to me and wanted to name another captain," Hafley said. "So we named Josh Uche as another captain today."
For Uche, it marks a striking turn in a season that has already changed his career arc. Drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Patriots, the linebacker spent his first five seasons in New England before moving on to the Chiefs in 2024 and the Eagles in 2025.
His role in Miami has already outpaced what he did in those previous stops. In seven starts with the Dolphins, Uche has surpassed the number of starts he had across his first six seasons. He also has more tackles, sacks, and QB hits in those seven games than he produced in his two seasons away from New England combined.
That production has made him more than just a steady presence. Uche has been one of three players the team has viewed as having done enough to merit an extension after the season, and Miami should take that seriously. He’s respected in the locker room, well liked by teammates, and has said he loves playing for the Dolphins and for Jeff Hafley specifically.
His impact has shown up next to Chop Robinson, too. The two are beginning to build something off the edge, and the pressure they’re generating is helping Miami’s defense climb. The Dolphins are currently 13th in the league in total defense, and the last four weeks have suggested Hafley’s system is starting to take hold as the players buy in.
Uche still has nine games left to keep making his case to Jon-Eric Sullivan, but being chosen by teammates as a captain says plenty about the mindset he’s bringing to the team. Hafley said Uche has come a long way, from not being active at the end of last year to becoming a major help on defense this season, and clearly earning the honor.
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