The Dolphins are heading toward 2026 with a receiver room that already looks thin, but that didn’t stop them from moving on from Tutu Atwell. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the deal as Miami sending Atwell back to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for running back Jarquez Hunter.
"Trade: Dolphins traded WR Tutu Atwell back to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for RB Jarquez Hunter, sources tell ESPN," Schefter reports.
At first glance, it reads like a strange choice for a team that needs more help at wideout, not less. Miami already had made another eyebrow-raising move by cutting ties with Tahj Washington, who is now with the Philadelphia Eagles. And with the Dolphins expected to head into the 2026 season in rebuild mode, the idea of subtracting another receiver seems even harder to square.
But Atwell’s role had already been trending toward the margins. He didn’t record a catch in the preseason, despite three targets, and the lack of production left him with very little momentum in a crowded competition for spots.
The Dolphins now appear set to lean on a group that includes rookies Chris Bell, Caleb Douglas and Kevin Coleman Jr., along with veterans Jalen Tolbert and Malik Washington. That’s the shape of the room Miami seems headed for in 2026, and while it still looks like a work in progress, Atwell was not shaping up to be a major part of it.
The running back side of the deal is less obvious. Miami’s depth chart already includes De’Von Achane, Jaylen Wright and Olli Gordon II, plus Donovan Edwards and others. Even so, with Achane likely being held out of the preseason finale and Gordon dealing with an injury, Hunter gives the Dolphins another body for the last preseason game and possibly a fourth back on the roster.
And given Atwell’s preseason line - no catches on three targets while fighting for a place on the team - it’s fair to wonder how much value Miami could have expected in return anyway.
In Other News...
Tua's Miami Return Will Put Dolphins Fans At Odds
Tua Tagovailoa is set to walk back into Hard Rock Stadium for a preseason game against the Dolphins, and it figures to be a strange reunion from the start. For Miami fans, this is not just another exhibition matchup. It is the first time a longtime former Dolphins starting quarterback will face the team in Miami, which instantly gives the night a different edge than the usual summer tune-up.
The reception may be split right down the middle. Tagovailoa had two productive seasons in Miami, but his uneven recent play and offseason contract holdout have left plenty of hard feelings in the fan base, even as others still remember what he brought to the franchise before the new management made the move to release him. However it plays in the stands, his return adds another layer to a preseason game that would otherwise be easy to overlook. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Bubble Players Face One Last Chance To Avoid Cut Day
With the preseason winding down, the Dolphins roster math has turned into a final audition for a handful of players who have spent camp living on the edge. Fan debate has centered on several names across the roster, with quarterback competition, wide receiver roles and multiple defensive spots all drawing extra scrutiny as Miami sorts out who belongs on the 53-man roster.
The next game now carries added weight for those bubble players, because a strong showing can still change a coachs mind even this late in the process. For the players trying to squeeze through, the margin is thin and the timing is unforgiving, with cut day looming and little room left for uneven play. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Fans May Need To Rethink These Waiver Expectations
As the waiver wire churns around the league, Miamis interest in any available help has to be weighed against a familiar constraint: how the Dolphins prefer to spend. Mekhi Blackmon and Cedric Tillman are the kind of names that can draw attention, but both come with a 2026 base salary of $3.6 million, a figure that sits above what Miami usually commits to newcomers.
That matters because a waiver claim means taking on the players existing contract, not negotiating a fresh one. For a team that has been deliberate about its payroll strategy, that can make a claim less appealing even before the scouting report comes into play. If either player clears waivers, though, Miami would have a chance to rework the deal on its own terms, which is much closer to how the Dolphins typically operate. [Read more 🡒]