There’s plenty of movement across the NFL ahead of the November 10 trade deadline, and while some teams are clearly tearing things down, the Dolphins don’t look eager to join that group.
The Colts have already dealt away DeForrest Buckner and Quenton Nelson, the Titans moved Jeffery Simmons, and the Chargers could still be active with veterans such as Khalil Mack and possibly Derwin James in the conversation. Those teams all have one thing in common: with records of 2-5, 1-6 and 0-6, they’re not headed anywhere in 2026.
Miami is sitting at 1-5 and is also not realistically part of the playoff picture, but that doesn’t automatically make the Dolphins sellers. They do have players other teams might call about, yet that doesn’t mean the organization is ready to move veteran pieces just because they could bring back a draft pick.
In fact, on Friday morning, SI national writer Albert Breer reported that the Dolphins have taken calls on defensive tackle Zach Sieler and center Aaron Brewer “but quickly rebuffed that.”
That lines up with the bigger picture. Miami is rebuilding, and more draft capital would help.
But the Dolphins also know they can’t build the roster entirely on second-, third- and fourth-year players. They’re going to need veterans, and Sieler, Brewer and linebacker Jordyn Brooks fit that mold.
Brewer is the clearest example of why Miami wouldn’t rush to deal a player like this. The Dolphins signed him to an offseason contract extension because he’s exactly the kind of veteran they want to keep in place.
Sieler is a little different because he’s over 30 and carries hefty cap numbers in the final three years of his deal. But he’s still one of the best players on the roster - the best defensive lineman on the team, and not all that close to having a true challenger right now. He’s also a leader on a young team.
That makes him more valuable to Miami than the kind of return the Dolphins could realistically expect in a trade. The only way that changes is if another team gets desperate for help up front after watching Buckner and Simmons come off the market.
There’s also the fact that Sieler has made it clear he wants to stay in Miami, a point that keeps coming up whenever he talks to the media these days. He’s been with the Dolphins since they claimed him off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens in December 2019.
Joshua Uche is another player who has been open about wanting to remain with the team, pointing in part to his respect for first-year head coach Jeff Hafley.
Uche was viewed as a possible trade chip because he signed a one-year deal this offseason and is set to become an unrestricted free agent in March. But he has played well enough that Miami should seriously think about bringing him back, as long as the price makes sense. A late-round pick wouldn’t outweigh what he could still provide to the Dolphins in 2027 and maybe even 2028.
Austin Jackson may be the name most likely to be moved. The tackle is the second-longest-tenured player on the roster behind Sieler, and after taking a pay cut to return this season, he’s scheduled to hit free agency after the year. His play in 2026 has been uneven.
There are also bigger questions hanging over Jackson’s future: what kind of contract he’d want next, whether the Dolphins intend to shift rookie first-round pick Kadyn Proctor to right tackle as expected, and whether Jackson even wants to come back. Unlike Sieler and Uche, he hasn’t been nearly as direct about wanting to stay.
Miami likely has a pretty good read by now on whether Jackson fits into the plan beyond 2026. If he doesn’t, the Dolphins should at least try to get some sort of draft compensation for him, since they probably won’t be in position to use free-agent compensation next offseason.
For now, though, this looks like a deadline that could come and go without much drama in Miami - even if the standings might have once pointed to something different.
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Douglas has already flashed the kind of playmaking that can change the feel of an offense, especially when a young receiver is creating separation and making the most of his chances. The bigger question now is how often Miami can keep feeding him in spots where his speed and timing can matter most, because his emergence has given the Dolphins a real reason to believe there is more here than just a hot stretch. [Read more 🡒]