The Miami Dolphins are headed into 2026 with a rebuild that everyone in the room seems to understand, and the record predictions from The Palm Beach Post Sports Staff make the same point in different ways: this is going to be a long year.
First-year GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley are being asked to reset the roster, get the right players in the right spots and start building something sturdier. That comes with growing pains, and plenty of them.
Joe Schad sees the ceiling at 3-14. He says Miami could maybe scrape together four or five wins, but only if everything falls perfectly into place.
He points to a brutal schedule and a shaky roster, while stressing that the teardown was necessary. For him, the real measuring stick is improvement in culture and player development.
In his best-case scenario, Malik Willis breaks out.
Hal Habib went in a different direction and landed at 6-11. He even acknowledged the reaction that number might trigger, then laid out the path: beat the Raiders in the opener, sweep the Jets, and steal a couple of upsets.
He sees a November trip to Indianapolis as more realistic than games in Buffalo or Denver, and says Miami’s other surprise could come against a quarterback “to be named at a later date.” He doesn’t see a shocker at Green Bay on Dec. 20, but he does have the Dolphins finishing with a win at New England in the regular-season finale, with the Patriots resting starters after securing AFC seeding.
Tom D'Angelo is right in the middle at 4-13. He frames the whole season around development and says Sullivan and Hafley are cleaning up the damage left by the previous regime.
The focus, he writes, is on evaluating talent over the next few years and setting up the best possible draft position for a franchise quarterback. In his projection, Miami splits with the Jets, pulls off one upset and adds two more tossup wins.
Nick Pugliese sees the harshest finish at 2-15. He has Miami opening with a win over the Raiders and closing with a win over the Patriots, who would be resting their starters for the playoffs.
He says the best-case version of the season would include Malik Willis proving he can be a solid NFL starter, the rookies showing they belong, and De'Von Achane staying healthy. But he also warns that best-case scenarios rarely come through, and expects Miami to be battered by November as waivers and signings keep churning through a major rebuilding year.
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Dolphins Just Got A Tougher Week 1 Problem In Las Vegas
The Dolphins Week 1 trip to Las Vegas just picked up a little more edge. Ashton Jeanty, the Raiders running back who had been dealing with an ankle sprain in training camp, has been officially cleared and is off the injury report heading into the season opener, giving the home team another weapon to sort out on defense.
For Miami, it means the opening-game scouting report got a little less comfortable. Jeanty is expected to be part of a Raiders offense led by new head coach Klint Kubiak, and his availability gives Las Vegas a cleaner path to leaning on its run game right from the start of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Tua Tagovailoas Latest Setback Just Put Week 1 In Doubt
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Stefanski also said the latest issue is separate from the back problem Tagovailoa dealt with before, which at least narrows the concern but does not make the situation any easier for Miami. With Cooper Rush set to start the season opener and Tagovailoa sidelined for now, the Dolphins are left waiting to see how long this setback lingers and how much it alters the early weeks of their season. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Rookies Jersey Change Carries A Heartbreaking Personal Meaning
Kevin Coleman Jr. made a subtle change before the regular season, switching from No. 83 to No. 21 as he settled into life with the Dolphins. On the surface, it is the kind of roster note that can get lost in the shuffle of camp and preseason, but for Coleman the number carries a deeply personal connection that reaches far beyond football.
Coleman chose 21 to honor his late brother, who passed away on October 21, 2008, giving the jersey a meaning that will travel with him every time he takes the field. For Miami, it is another reminder that rookie seasons are built on more than playbooks and position battles, with personal history often riding along as the Dolphins head toward the new year. [Read more 🡒]