The Dolphins’ interior defense took a hit this week, and the news around Zach Sieler isn’t getting any clearer. Miami head coach Jeff Hafley said Wednesday that the veteran defensive tackle is week-to-week with an undisclosed injury, leaving the team without its most experienced lineman as camp rolls on.
Sieler had already been out since missing Monday’s practice in Miami Gardens. He still wasn’t ready when the Dolphins traveled to Ashburn, Virginia, for a joint session with the Washington Commanders, and Hafley was blunt about the situation.
“Zach will be out today. Unfortunately, he won’t be able to practice. I would say that would be week to week,” Hafley told reporters, per SI.com’s Dolphins coverage.
No additional details came with it. Under Miami’s new staff, the approach has been simple: keep the injury specifics close to the vest and focus on whether a player is available.
That matters here because Sieler is far more than a rotational piece. He’s heading into his ninth NFL season and started every game last year, finishing with 47 tackles and 5.5 sacks. He’s also the longest-tenured player on the roster, having arrived in Miami as a waiver claim from Baltimore’s practice squad in December 2019.
The timing is especially awkward for a defense in the middle of a major install. Hafley, in his first year as head coach, is building around a 4-3 base with nickel looks in passing situations. Missing your most established interior lineman during that kind of work means fewer reps for Sieler to get comfortable before the games start counting.
There’s also a contract angle hanging over all of this. Sieler has the biggest cap hit on the Dolphins’ roster in 2026 at $11.4 million, and Spotrac’s contract database shows he has no guaranteed money left after this season. So while the immediate issue is his health, the bigger picture is whether Miami still sees the 30-year-old as part of the long-term picture under new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan.
For now, the snaps have to go somewhere else. Zeek Biggers, listed as Sieler’s backup on the unofficial depth chart, should pick up most of the extra work. Jordan Phillips and 2025 first-round pick Kenneth Grant are also in the mix for interior reps.
Grant is the most intriguing name in that group. He started five games as a rookie last season and posted 33 tackles and two sacks, and an extended absence for Sieler gives him a chance to make up ground on the depth chart before roster cuts.
The Dolphins haven’t offered a firm timetable for Sieler’s return, but the expectation is that he will miss Friday night’s preseason opener against the Commanders at FedEx Field. Hafley also hasn’t said whether Sieler will get any preseason action before Miami opens the regular season against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Until then, the Dolphins are using the joint practices and preseason work to sort out their defensive tackle rotation without the one veteran who has been there longer than anyone else.
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