The Miami Dolphins have already seen what happens when opponents get tight ends involved against them. What they have not done nearly enough is make that same kind of damage happen on the other side of the ball.
Five games into the 2026 season, Malik Willis’ issues are starting to show up in plain sight. The bigger concern isn’t just that he’s missing throws.
It’s that he appears to be hesitating, and maybe not fully trusting the players around him. Too often, Dolphins pass-catchers are sitting open while Willis delays the read.
That’s a problem Miami can ease by leaning harder on its tight ends.
If the bye week brings anything, the Dolphins need it to bring this: get the tight ends involved early, force defenses to adjust, and create more room for everything else.
Greg Dulcich has done enough to earn more of those chances. Through five games, he has 13 catches for 128 yards.
That production looks even better when you remember he wasn’t targeted at all and didn’t catch a pass against the Vikings. He has been targeted 17 times this season, which makes the case pretty simple - why not go to him more often?
Rookie Will Kacmarek has shown he can contribute as well. He has three catches on six targets for 24 yards.
And yet the tight end group has produced just 16 of Miami’s 73 receptions this year. The Dolphins have no shortage of receivers, of course.
Malik Washington leads the team with 23 catches, and Dulcich is tied with Kevin Coleman for second-most targets. But that doesn’t mean the tight ends should be fading into the background.
They’re on the field enough to matter. Dulcich has played 68% of the offensive snaps, and that usage doesn’t match what he’s done when the ball actually comes his way.
Kacmarek has logged 41% of the snaps, and while the rookie is mostly being used as a blocker, that raises its own question. Why limit him there when simple tight end screens are there to be called?
That kind of play would give Willis an easy answer and let Miami cash in on a part of the field defenses can’t just ignore. Instead, the Dolphins are missing that chance. The responsibility sits with Willis and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.
What makes it more frustrating is that Willis has shown more willingness to force tougher throws than to take the clean completion underneath. The safer, simpler path is there. Miami just isn’t taking it often enough.
The result is missed chances. The Dolphins are leaving opportunities on the field, and it’s hurting them in points, first downs and wins.
In Other News...
Dolphins Ownership Just Got More Crowded Than Many Fans Realize
Stephen Ross has continued to widen the circle around the Dolphins, recently agreeing to sell a small minority stake in the franchise to Jean Eric Salata, pending approval. It is the latest sign that Miamis ownership structure has become a little more layered over time, with Ross bringing in outside capital while still holding the principal role that has defined the teams modern era.
Salata would join a long list of recognizable investors who already have ties to the Dolphins, a group that has included Ares Management, Lin Bin, Joe Tsai and Oliver Weisberg, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Serena and Venus Williams, Marc Anthony, and Fergie. For fans, the takeaway is less about boardroom mechanics than the breadth of names attached to the franchise now, and how much more crowded that ownership picture has become. [Read more 🡒]
Malik Willis Pushes Back On What Dolphins Fans Saw Sunday
Before Miamis Week 5 matchup, Bengals safety Jordan Battle pointed to something he thought he saw from Malik Willis, suggesting the quarterback was tapping the ball before he threw it and that the habit helped lead to two interceptions. It was the kind of pregame remark that can stick with a player, especially when it sounds like a clean explanation for a turnover-heavy day.
Willis pushed back on that version of events, saying the interceptions came down to tipped passes and a scramble-drill mistake rather than any tell in his delivery. For Dolphins fans who had already noticed the playmaking swings around those turnovers, the dispute adds another layer to the debate over what really happened and whether the issue was habit, execution, or just a couple of bad breaks. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Defense Has A 2027 Roster Squeeze Fans Can Already See
By mid-October, the Dolphins defensive depth chart already reads like a long view exercise, with contract status, cap figures and free-agency timelines all pointing toward the same question: who is still around when 2027 rolls in? The roster includes a mix of waiver claims, draft picks, undrafted free agents and players currently on injured reserve, which makes the next couple of offseasons feel less like housekeeping and more like a full-scale evaluation of how long this group can stay intact.
The tension is in the margins, where several defenders look like they could be here for the short term rather than the long haul. Miamis front and secondary still have pieces that matter now, but the early outlook suggests the Dolphins may face some tough calls before they get anywhere near 2027, especially with a few veterans and depth options carrying uncertain futures. [Read more 🡒]