The NFL always has a way of turning the page fast, and for a few former Dolphins, the page may already be stuck.
Miami spent the offseason reshaping its roster, and while some of those changes were about improvement and others about cleaning up a mess left by 9 years of Chris Grier, the ripple effect goes beyond South Florida. A handful of players who once wore the Dolphins uniform are now staring at uncertain futures as the 2026 season gets underway. For some, being unsigned this late is a warning sign that the end could be close.
Tyreek Hill is still the biggest name in the group, but his situation is anything but clear. Hill is recovering from a devastating knee injury suffered in Week 4 of the 2025 season, and he still isn’t close to returning.
His entire game has always been built on speed, and he has already said he doesn’t have power in the injured leg. That leaves the obvious question hanging over him: can he get back the burst that made him different from every other receiver?
If that speed is gone, Hill is just an average undersized receiver.
Artie Burns is in a different kind of bind, and it’s hard to see a clean path back. His injury came in one of the strangest ways possible - he tore his ACL while walking off the field after stretching on the first day of training camp.
The one-year deal he signed with Miami ended in a season on injured reserve, and now he’s without a team in 2026. Even beyond the knee injury, Burns’ career has been defined by erratic, up-and-down, inconsistent play when he was healthy, which wasn’t often.
Another opportunity would be a surprise, and if he doesn’t get one this year, it’s tough to imagine him playing at this level again.
Liam Eichenberg’s path looks the bleakest of all. He was one of Chris Grier’s biggest favorites, but Grier is no longer with the Dolphins.
Miami brought Eichenberg back on a one-year free-agent deal during the 2025 offseason, only for him to get hurt early in camp and land on the PUP list, ending his season. The knee injury is expected to have ended his career, and Eichenberg had already expressed doubt about playing in the league again.
With a degenerative prognosis attached to the injury, the former second-round pick Miami traded up for looks destined to be a footnote.
In Other News...
Dolphins Just Got A Tougher Week 1 Problem In Las Vegas
The Dolphins Week 1 trip to Las Vegas just got a little more complicated with Ashton Jeanty officially cleared to play in the Raiders season opener. Jeanty had been dealing with an ankle sprain in training camp, but he is now off the injury report and set to be available for a Raiders offense that is being shaped under new head coach Klint Kubiak.
For Miami, that matters because Jeanty is expected to be a major part of what Las Vegas wants to do on offense right out of the gate. The Dolphins were already preparing for a road opener against a division opponent with a new play caller in place, and now they also have to account for a backfield piece the Raiders clearly intend to lean on early. [Read more 🡒]
Tua Tagovailoas Latest Setback Just Put Week 1 In Doubt
Tua Tagovailoas summer took another frustrating turn when an oblique injury in practice forced him out of the conversation for Week 1, giving Miami yet another late-August quarterback storyline to monitor. The latest setback comes with some small relief in that it is not tied to the back issue that had already complicated his workload, but it still leaves the Dolphins waiting on a clearer picture of when their starter can get back on the field.
For a team trying to settle into the season with its offense built around Tagovailoas timing and rhythm, the uncertainty is the real problem. A return timeline has not been set, and with Week 1 already slipping into doubt, Miami is left balancing caution against the need to get its quarterback healthy and ready before the early part of the schedule starts to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Rookies Jersey Change Carries A Heartbreaking Personal Meaning
Kevin Coleman Jr. made a small change before the regular season that carries a much bigger meaning. The Dolphins rookie switched from No. 83 to No. 21, giving himself a number that connects directly to his family and the memory of his late brother.
The significance of that choice is hard to miss, especially with Miami settling into the stretch run toward the season opener. For Coleman, the jersey is more than a uniform detail now, and it adds a personal layer to the usual rookie transition as the Dolphins continue sorting through their early-season storylines. [Read more 🡒]