The Dolphins opened the year in far better shape than anyone expected, and that alone says plenty about how Jon-Eric Sullivan is building this roster.
Availability has become the early theme in Miami. Kenneth Grant and Trey Moore are on injured reserve, but the bigger picture is that the Dolphins are much healthier than they were at the start of 2025.
Jeff Hafley addressed the injury situation on Monday and said everyone was in a good position. Miami Herald beat writer Barry Jackson also noted at practice that every player on the 53 was working.
Every Dolphins player on the 53 is now available. Will Kacmarek and Ronnie Harrison are back practicing today, per Hafley.
- Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) September 7, 2026
That’s a major shift from a year ago. In 2025, Miami entered the opener with Jaylen Wright, Darren Waller and Ethan Bonner ruled out, while D’Wayne Eskridge and James Daniels were questionable. Daniels’ time in Miami ended by the end of Week 1 when he went to IR.
This season, the Dolphins have five players starting the year on injured reserve: Moore, Grant, Ben Sims, Cole Turner and Rene Kongo. Last year, Miami began with eight players on the list, and by season’s end that number had climbed to 19.
The difference hasn’t happened by accident. Hafley has made the practices more physical, with live tackling on contact days, a step Mike McDaniel did not consistently take. Miami still has to navigate injuries like every other team, but the early returns suggest the Dolphins are giving themselves a better chance to stay on the field.
Conditioning matters. So does teaching proper technique and the basics of the game. And there’s another layer here too: Sullivan appears to have changed the way Miami evaluates risk.
Under Chris Grier, the Dolphins often took swings on low-cost free agents who were returning from injuries or had lengthy injury histories. Sullivan has said availability is one of the key factors he weighs when deciding whether to sign a player. That approach sounds simple, but it can save a roster from being built around players who can’t stay on the field.
Grier’s tendency to chase reclamation projects rarely delivered the production Miami wanted.
For a team trying to start fast and set the tone, that matters. Hafley has said the focus isn’t only on wins and losses, but on development. And development starts with the most basic requirement of all: having players available.
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Kansas City is the only team publicly tied to Hill at the moment, which adds another layer to the uncertainty as his situation develops. For Miami, it leaves the conversation centered less on when Hill might be ready and more on what the next step looks like once he is cleared to resume football activity. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Are Putting A Lot On Young Starters Right Away
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For a roster trying to stay competitive while also building for the future, that kind of early trust is notable. It means the Dolphins are not just easing their rookie class into the picture, they are putting a lot on them right away and betting those young starters can handle the pressure that comes with opening week roles. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Opener Just Got Easier But One Big Test Remains
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For Miami, the bigger picture is still the same: a season-opening test against a Raiders offense that suddenly looks different, while the Dolphins ask a largely new defensive backfield to find its footing right away. Even with Bowers out, the task in Week 1 still comes down to communication, coverage discipline and whether Miamis reworked secondary can settle in fast enough to handle an opener that rarely gives anyone much breathing room. [Read more 🡒]