The 1972 Miami Dolphins are still alone in NFL history, and that fact got another celebration this week after the Minnesota Vikings fell 19-15 to the Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon. With no undefeated teams left in 2026, the last perfect season in the league remains untouched, and Larry Csonka made sure to salute it.
The Hall of Fame fullback marked the moment on X with a message aimed at both Detroit and his old teammates. “CONGRATS to the Detroit Lions, on the Win and a game well played today,” Csonka posted.
“CHEERS to all my ‘72 undefeated teammates and Miami Dolphins fans on our now 54 year record! Cheers!”
Csonka was a central figure in that historic run, and his place in Dolphins lore goes well beyond the unbeaten season. He spent eight years in Miami after being drafted in 1968, then finished his career with the team after the 1979 season.
He also played three seasons for the New York Giants. In franchise history, he still sits first in rushing yards with 6,737 and rushing touchdowns with 53.
His biggest individual spotlight came in Super Bowl 8, when he was named MVP after rushing for 145 yards and two touchdowns against the Minnesota Vikings. But his impact on the 1972 team was just as important.
In the regular season, Csonka carried the ball 213 times for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games, then added 212 more rushing yards across three playoff games. In Super Bowl 7 against the then-Washington Redskins, he was vital again, grinding out 112 yards on the ground in a game where offense was hard to come by.
He wasn’t doing it alone, of course. Don Shula’s team was loaded with names that still ring through NFL history: Mercury Morris, Dick Anderson, Nick Buoniconti, Paul Warfield, Earl Morrall, Bob Griese, Bill Stanfill and Jake Scott, among others.
More than five decades later, Csonka and the rest of that group still own one of the sport’s rarest accomplishments. And for another year, nobody has matched it.
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