The Miami Dolphins took a beating in San Francisco on Sunday, and the score did more than hand them a loss. It also sharpened the spotlight on head coach Jeff Hafley, even if that reaction feels a little premature. Miami is still asking a lot of a rookie-heavy roster, and the growing pains showed up again against the 49ers.
For a while, the Dolphins made things interesting. They stayed close in the first half and had the NFL watching for a minute, but San Francisco’s halftime adjustments flipped the game. Miami simply doesn’t have enough young talent in place yet to trade punches for four quarters with a team like the 49ers.
Still, there were a few signs that the rookie class is moving in the right direction, even in a lopsided loss.
Kadyn Proctor continued to handle every offensive snap through the first two games, and this one was more about cleanup than collapse. After a solid opener against the Raiders, he ran into trouble with penalties against San Francisco.
The flags hurt momentum, but his overall work was still respectable. He wasn’t sharp enough to call it a strong outing, but he wasn’t a problem either.
The next step is obvious: cut down the pre-snap mistakes and stay out of hold trouble.
Jacob Rodriguez, who was the headline rookie after last week’s 14-tackle performance, followed that up with eight tackles against the 49ers. San Francisco did a good job of keeping him from dictating the game, but he still found ways to show up. That’s enough to keep him in the “holding steady” lane for now.
The story was less encouraging for Chris Johnson. The excuses that softened last week’s rough outing against the Raiders don’t apply here.
Johnson struggled throughout the game, and while the secondary as a whole had a rough day, his performance stood out for the wrong reasons. A move to the boundary might make sense if the Dolphins want to simplify his role.
Caleb Douglas also slid backward. He managed just two catches on three targets, and while Malik Willis was under pressure all game and not especially crisp, Douglas still had trouble creating separation.
The bigger concern came later, when a potential lower leg/ankle injury knocked him out in the second half. He was reportedly in a walking boot after the game.
There was at least one small offensive bright spot in Will Kacmarek’s day. The blocking tight end caught the first pass of his NFL career, a modest four-yard gain, but it mattered because it showed him getting involved in a route.
He has only been targeted twice through two weeks, but his role is inching forward. His offensive snaps jumped from 14 in Week 1 to 28 on Sunday, and he added three more special teams snaps.
Small progress, but progress all the same.
Chris Bell, on the other hand, didn’t make much noise. He was quiet while on the field, saw his offensive snaps dip from 29 to 24, and was targeted once without a catch. There are factors beyond his control, but this still counts as a step back.
Michael Taaffe gave Miami one of the cleaner rookie performances of the day. He finished with five solo tackles and four assists, and it felt like he was involved in one way or another on just about every play. The rookie safety is starting to build some consistency, and while there’s still a long road ahead, the trend is pointing up.
Seydou Traore remained stuck on special teams duty, with no offensive snaps yet this season. He did add six more special teams snaps against the 49ers, so there was at least some movement there.
Max Llewellyn also checked off another small milestone. Activated from the practice squad to the 53 for the first time, he logged two defensive snaps and three more on special teams. It wasn’t a huge role, but it was another step.
And then there was Herman, the undrafted rookie who has now played in two NFL games. He finally got his first catch of the season on Sunday, an 18-yard play that included 12 yards after the catch.
He played 29% of the snaps against the 49ers. It’s not a massive workload, but it’s not disappointing either.
In Other News...
Kadyn Proctor Just Got A Reality Check Dolphins Fans Will Appreciate
Kadyn Proctor didnt leave Week 2 with just another game on his rsum. The Dolphins rookie left guard also got a chance to talk with 49ers Pro Bowl tackle Trent Williams, a postgame exchange that offered a glimpse into how quickly the NFL can humble even a first-round pick. Proctors early weeks have already come with the usual lessons that come for every young lineman, and hearing it straight from one of the leagues most established veterans only adds weight to the learning curve.
Williams message was the kind Miami fans will appreciate because it reinforces what the Dolphins need from a rookie on the interior line: resilience, not perfection. Proctor was told to keep moving past mistakes and keep improving, which is the kind of advice that matters most for a player trying to settle in at a demanding spot. For a team always trying to fortify its future, moments like this hint at the bigger developmental arc around Proctor and why his progress will stay worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Suddenly Have A Kicking Problem Fans Cant Ignore
Riley Pattersons shaky start to the 2026 season has already forced the Dolphins into an uncomfortable place. After misses in both Week 1 and Week 2, Miami had to treat a position that is usually easy to overlook like a roster concern, and head coach Jeff Hafley did not hide his frustration as the errors piled up.
The response came quickly, with the Dolphins bringing in three kickers for tryouts in Chris Freeman, Tanner Brown and Lucas Havrisik. For now, though, Miami has not made a move to sign any of them, leaving the team with a live issue at a spot that can swing close games long before the bigger problems show up. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Already Face An Ugly AFC Problem After Two Weeks
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For Miami, the number matters because it reflects more than just an early stumble. A point differential that ugly puts the Dolphins in the same conversation as the leagues worst teams and leaves them with little room to argue they have been more competitive than the standings suggest, even with a long season still ahead. The AFC has already begun to separate into teams building a cushion and teams scrambling to avoid an early hole, and Miami has work to do before the gap turns into something harder to dig out of. [Read more 🡒]