The Miami Dolphins have settled on their 2026 leadership group, and the list leans heavily into youth, continuity, and a fresh reset. On Monday, the team announced six captains after a player vote, with two defensive leaders and four offensive leaders earning the honor.
The full group: running back De’Von Achane, center Aaron Brewer, linebacker Jordyn Brooks, left tackle Patrick Paul, defensive tackle Zach Sieler, and quarterback Malik Willis.
Head coach Jeff Hafley had said last week that the decision would come from the locker room, and he made it clear he wanted the players involved in the process. “I think it’s important for everybody who is involved to have a vote in that, certainly starting with the players.
I think it’s important that they have a vote in who they believe the captains should be, and I’m excited to see that…But we’ll vote on it and take a look. I think there’s a couple candidates that really deserve it, so I’m excited to see who our players think they are.”
He later explained how the final call would be made, saying Thursday, “The vote has been taken. I don’t have an ideal number.
I’ll look at the votes and if they’re spread out and kind of even, we’ll go there. Some years I’ve had to do this there’s been three, some years there’s been six.
It’s just, where’s your team at, who are your leaders, who do the guys on the team think the captain should be, how many votes did each guy get, and you make your judgment. But we have not tallied them up yet.
We just voted in the meetings right now. So I will announce that on - I talk to you guys Monday, so you’ll know on Monday.
The players will know Monday too. So that’s not going to be something that gets out.”
Now the vote is in, and the results show a Dolphins team leaning on players who are already becoming central figures in the room.
Achane, Willis, and Paul are captains for the first time. Willis arrived this year and has quickly taken on a leadership role in his first season as a starting quarterback.
Achane and Paul are both 24 and now get their first crack at wearing the captain label. Willis is 27.
The team’s front office and coaching staff have already pointed to Achane, Brewer, and Brooks as core pieces of the rebuild, and all three signed contract extensions this summer. Brewer and Brooks are both 28, and now their importance extends beyond performance to leadership.
Up front, Brewer and Paul give Miami its offensive line backbone. Brewer was a Second-Team All-Pro last season and is aiming to push even higher this year with a First-Team nod. Paul, entering his third season, has settled in as a strong left tackle and taken on more responsibility throughout the offseason and training camp.
Sieler remains the veteran presence in the group. He is the longest-tenured player on the roster after joining Miami as a waiver claim from the Baltimore Ravens during the 2019 season. This is his third straight year as a captain, and the 31-year-old continues in that role as one of the team’s steady voices.
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