News Dolphins Team Notes

[Miami Dolphins]

Phinsider Question Of The Day: What Can They Do Edition

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It’s that time of year when anyone writing for the NFL or any NFL team is busy trying to find something, anything, to write about. We here at the Phinsider aren’t immune. Most writers have a list of minimums they need to meet as authors for any website or publication, which naturally pushes them to write about nearly anything they can link to the NFL or the team that they cover. Luckily, the Miami Dolphins usually manage to generate enough news to have at least one story that we can stretch out for a bit. While this can be fortunate if you write about the team, it’s not always as lucky if you’re also a real fan of the team you cover, because far too many of those stories that keep the Phins in the news are less than positive.

The latest story is that the Dolphins are either a focus or at least part of a list, and that head coach Mike McDaniel is on the hot seat as we approach the 2025-2026 NFL season. McDaniel does not have to face this offseason's challenge alone, as general manager Chris Grier is also reportedly on the hot seat. Building a consistently winning NFL team that can challenge for a championship requires many skilled people, so when that doesn’t happen, it often costs some of them their jobs. They are now working and coaching with their jobs on the line. What would they need to do to change the story?

So the Phinsider Question Of The Day is:

What do Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel have to do to get them off the “hot seat” and keep their jobs? What would you have to see from the team this coming season to believe that one or both of them deserve to keep their job beyond this coming season?

Please share your thoughts and answers in the comments section below-

Source: https://www.thephinsider.com/2025/7...-question-of-the-day-what-can-they-do-edition

 

[Miami Dolphins]

Time for Tua Tagovailoa to deliver - The Splash Zone 7/12/25

Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images

Welcome to the Splash Zone, the quickest way to get your day started off right. We bring you a rundown of Miami Dolphins news from the last 24 hours.

When Tua Tagovailoa is on the field, the Miami Dolphins always have a good chance of winning the game. But that’s been the problem. He hasn’t been able to stay on the field. While his stats have been great, the injury history has always been a concern. In 2023, Tua had his best season and the team looked poised to make a nice playoff run. But the Dolphins are blessed with bad luck and got decimated by injuries all over the roster late in the season. With a ton of offensive pieces returning and some hopeful upgrades, Tua and the Dolphins offense should be set up for success.

You can check out that story here, and the rest of the day’s round-up below.

Miami Dolphins Top 10 players countdown: QB Tua Tagovailoa is No. 3 - Yahoo Sports
Countdown to training camp: Tua Tagovailoa is No. 3 on our Dolphins Top 10 players countdown

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Dolphins Wide Receivers​

Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle seeks redemption in 2025 - ESPN
Despite posting career lows across the board, Waddle and the Dolphins believe the receiver will return to form.

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Dolphins Tight Ends​

Miami Dolphins 2025 Training Camp Preview: Tight Ends
The Miami Dolphins' tight end room has a lot of question marks, following Jonnu Smith getting traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Dolphins Offensive Line​

Ranking Miami Dolphins Top 25 Players: A Surprising OL Development
The Miami Dolphins' signing of Aaron Brewer last offseason wasn't regarded as a slam dunk move, but he outperformed expectations pretty quickly.

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Dolphins Linebackers​

Miami Dolphins for better, for worse? Return of Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips bolsters LBs - Yahoo Sports
The Miami Dolphins' linebacking corps missed Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb last season, but Chop Robinson excelled, as did two ex-Seattle Seahawks.

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Phinsider News You May Have Missed​

Will Dolphins receivers rebound - Miami Dolphins News 7/10/25 - The Phinsider
Welcome to the Splash Zone, the quickest way to get your day started off right. We bring you a rundown of Miami Dolphins news from the last 24 hours.

Minkah Fitzpatrick cracks top-10 list compiled by NFL insiders for ESPN - The Phinsider
The Dolphins did well to reacquire Fitzpatrick while dealing Jonnu Smith and Jalen Ramsey.

Phinsider Question Of The Day: What Can They Do Edition - The Phinsider
What steps can Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel take to relieve the pressure on them?

Miami Dolphins training camp 2025 preview: Key dates, notable additions, biggest storylines
With the start of 2025 NFL training camps just around the corner, Bobby Kownack provides a deep dive into the Dolphins' roster changes, position battles and notable subplots.

Phinsider Victory Of The Week Open Thread Vol. 641 - The Phinsider
It’s Friday, which means it’s time to welcome you to another VOTW post. This evening’s open conversation prompt is just that: What is YOUR victory for this week? Did something remarkable happen? Is...

Source: https://www.thephinsider.com/the-sp...ash-zone-7-12-25-miami-dolphins-jaylen-waddle

 

[Miami Dolphins]

Ndamukong Suh announces retirement officially ending Hall of Fame career

Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Former Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh announced his retirement on Saturday.

Defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh has not played in two years, but he had not announced any plans to retire from the NFL, ending a Hall of Fame career that lasted 13 years. That changed on Saturday when the 2010 Defensive Rookie of the Year took to X to officially end his NFL career.

Suh, in the post, stated that losing his father on July 12, 2024 was the hardest day of his life. Before his dad passed away, he told Suh, “It’s time to let football go. You’ve done everything you set out to do. Now it’s time for the next chapter.” Exactly a year later, Suh officially hung up his cleats.

Suh was drafted second overall in 2010 by the Detroit Lions. He immediately made an impact, recording 66 tackles, one interception, three passes defensed, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery for a touchdown, and 10 sacks in his rookie year, being selected to the Pro Bowl and as a First-Team All-Pro along with his rookie of the year award.

In March 2015, Suh signed with the Miami Dolphins as a free agent, setting a new record for the highest-paid defensive player in league history as he agreed to a six-year, $114 million contract. He spent three years with Miami before he was released in a salary cap savings move. During his three seasons in Miami, he tallied 181 tackles, 13 passes defensed, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and 15.5 sacks. He was selected as a Second-Team All-Pro in 2016, as well as making the Pro Bowl, joining four all-star selections he had with Detroit.

Following his time with Miami, Suh played a season with the Los Angeles Rams, three with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the 2022 season included eight games with the Philadelphia Eagles, joining the team midseason in a playoff push.

He won Super Bowl LV with the Buccaneers after the 2020 season.

He finished his career with three First-Team All-Pro selections, two Second-Team selections, and five Pro Bowls. He recorded 600 tackles, one interception, 38 passses defensed, five forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries with three touchdowns, and 71.5 sacks. He was named to the NFL All-Decades Team for the 2010s.

“I left it all on the field, and now I’m stepping away with peace and gratitude,” Suh said in his statement as he ended the reflection on his career before transitioning to the “next season” of his life which will include work to help “athletes, entrepreneurs, and young people navigating life and money.” He has started the “No Free Lunch” podcast as part of that goal.

Suh is destined to be in the Hall of Fame. He will likely be selected in 2027, his first year of eligibility for enshrinement in Canton.

You can read his full statement, as well as check out the incredible pictures of him with his father in a thread on X, starting with this post:

July 12, 2024 was the hardest day of my life.

It’s the day I said goodbye to my father, the man who raised me, shaped me, challenged me, and believed in me before I believed in myself.

He wasn’t just a dad. He was my idol, my coach, and my anchor.
He taught me what it meant to… pic.twitter.com/WkefQaDrsQ

— Ndamukong Suh (@NdamukongSuh) July 12, 2025​

Source: https://www.thephinsider.com/2025/7...ent-miami-dolphins-detroit-lions-hall-of-fame

 

[Miami Dolphins]

Tua Tagovailoa not ranked in top-half of league in ESPN quarterbacks list

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Tagovailoa falls to 17th in latest QB rankings by ESPN.

As ESPN continues to release their rankings regarding all positions across the National Football League as voted on by NFL executives, coaches and scouts, the quarterbacks list was going to come out eventually.

The quarterback position is widely considered the most important position in all of sports, not just football, so it is easy to see why it is such a hot-button topic for fans across the league — but especially with fans of the Miami Dolphins and their quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa.

In 2024, following a stellar 2023 campaign that saw Tagovailoa throw for a league-leading 4,624 yards accompanied by 29 passing touchdowns, fans were surprised to see the former Alabama Crimson Tide product miss out on top-ten honors — instead coming in at #14 on ESPN’s list which placed him in the “honorable mentions” category.

After a frustrating 2024 season marred by multiple injuries (a common theme for Tagovailoa), Miami’s quarterback fell in ESPN’s rankings — coming in at #17 on the list, just barely cracking the “also receiving votes” section.

Tagovailoa ranks just behind elder statesman Aaron Rodgers of the Pittsburgh Steelers and just ahead of Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos who is coming off of an impressive rookie year.

As is always the case with the Dolphins passer, health (or the lack-thereof) will be the biggest reason why Tagovailoa doesn’t get the same respect as most of his peers. When healthy, the 27-year-old puts up high-end numbers while leading Miami to more wins than losses — but when he misses time (which happens quite often), the Dolphins can’t make up for his absence and suffer losses at an alarming rate because of his fragility.

This offseason, the team and the quarterback alike have discussed Tagovailoa’s goal to place an increased importance on his health. Let’s see if that goal can become more than words when the Dolphins hit the field for meaningful football games in roughly two months time.

Source: https://www.thephinsider.com/2025/7...-espn-quarterbacks-list-miami-dolphins-tyreek

 

[Miami Dolphins]

Phinsider Question Of The Day: Should He Really Be Ranked That Low Edition

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

If you've been a long-time Phins fan, you've seen the team's quarterback serve as the fans' favorite punching bag during most seasons, ever since Marino decided to hang it up. You don’t have to be a long-time fan to notice the trend after the fan base frequently roasted Ryan Tannehill before being traded away. Tua Tagovailoa was then drafted to take his place both as the starter and as the newest and shiniest punching bag. That’s not to say that Tua doesn’t have many of us in the fan base who are big fans, but you could say the same for many of the guys between him and Marino. I suspect this is how it is with most fan bases whose team is consistently on the losing end of things.

Even some of Tua’s detractors, for the most part, see him as at least a halfway decent quarterback. Then there are the two other ends of the spectrum, those who think he’s the greatest or at least one of the very top QBs currently in the NFL, and those who believe that he’s the worst thing ever or at least very close to it. I guess there is also the fourth group of fans, those who love him or hate him, depending on whatever his latest results are. So why am I bringing up the topic that gets beaten to death? Earlier today, our own Marek Brave posted a story about Tua being ranked in the bottom half of the league at 17th best overall QB.

So this evening's Phinsider Question Of The Day is:

Do you think that ESPN’s ranking of Tua Tagovailoa is just about right, too low, or too high, and why?

Please share your thoughts and answers in the comments section below-

Source: https://www.thephinsider.com/2025/7...y-should-he-really-be-ranked-that-low-edition

 

[Miami Dolphins]

Breaking down the Dolphins offensive line - The Splash Zone 7/15/25

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Welcome to the Splash Zone, the quickest way to get your day started off right. We bring you a rundown of Miami Dolphins news from the last 24 hours.

The Miami Dolphins offense was a mess last season and there were a variety of different reasons as to why that was. The offensive line was one of those problems as the unit dealt with injuries and underwhelming players. The Dolphins made sure to bring in some new players and hopefully they can help this offense get back to where is was. The team should have two new starting guards with James Daniels and Jonah Savaiinaea, both of whom will be major upgrades at guard. But all eyes will probably be on Patrick Paul as he takes over at left tackle after Terron Armstead announced his retirement this offseason.

You can check out that story here, and the rest of the day’s round-up below.

Will changes on Dolphins’ O-line lead to pass protection for Tua, better run-blocking? | Countdown to camp - Yahoo Sports
With the 2025 NFL season fast approaching, the South Florida Sun Sentinel takes a look at 10 storylines to watch for in a 10-part series ahead of the Miami Dolphins’ first day of training camp, which is set for July 22.

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Dolphins Running Backs​

Training Camp Preview 2025: Running Backs
Dolphins add versatile parts to an already explosive running back room

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Dolphins Wide Receivers​

Miami Dolphins banking on Jaylen Waddle’s redemption season in 2025 - Yahoo Sports
After a career-low year in 2024, Dolphins leadership believes Jaylen Waddle is primed to bounce back and outperform his $84.75 million extension.

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Dolphins Offensive Line​

Miami Dolphins 2025 Training Camp Preview: Offensive Line
The Miami Dolphins' offensive line looks a lot different now than it did at the start of last season. Here's our breakdown of where the room stands.

Why Miami Dolphins' Second-Round Pick Jonah Savaiinaea Is Still Unsigned
Jonah Savaiinaea remains unsigned as Miami Dolphins rookies are expected to report for training camp on Tuesday.

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Dolphins Linebackers​

Ranking Miami Dolphins Top 25 Players: A Budding Star at Linebacker
The Miami Dolphins signed linebacker Jordyn Brooks last offseason, and he was excellent in his first season with the team.

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Phinsider News You May Have Missed​

Dolphins special teams overhaul - Miami Dolphins News 7/14/25 - The Phinsider
Welcome to the Splash Zone, the quickest way to get your day started off right. We bring you a rundown of Miami Dolphins news from the last 24 hours.

Tua Tagovailoa not ranked in top-half of league in ESPN quarterbacks list - The Phinsider
Tagovailoa falls to 17th in latest QB rankings by ESPN.

PQOTD: Should He Really Be Ranked That Low Edition - The Phinsider
We ask Dolphins fans to chime in on the ESPN QB rankings.

Source: https://www.thephinsider.com/the-sp...ne-the-splash-zone-7-15-25-minkah-fitzpatrick

 

[Miami Dolphins]

Your Miami Dolphins Team Leaders

Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

There have been rumors for some time now that our Miami Dolphins would like to add Asante Samuel Jr. to the roster to fill one of the bigger holes on the roster. Then came the news last week that Asante’s father, Asante Samuel Sr., had criticized the Dolphins for their lack of leadership. With that in mind, I asked the following question:

Do you agree with Asante Samuel Sr. that the team lacks leadership? If so, who do you think needs to step up this coming season to change that narrative? If you disagree, who on the offense, defense, or coaching staff do you consider leaders of the team?

Below are some of your thoughts and answers-

LSC20&Olney has an outline of what they are looking for in the team's future leaders.

I just hope that when the new leaders do step up that they have a solid work ethic and positive attitude. The new leaders should put the team above all else. We permit some of the most destructive and divisive people wear the “C” on their uniforms. I don’t care who votes for them. Coaches need to step in and simply say NO to people who quit on their teammates and those that divide a locker room.

Dolfanjoe says get out of the way, it’s going to handle itself!

The leaders will start to emerge in training camp. It will take care of itself..................

Yarganaught says you don’t have to yell to be the guy that the others follow...

Just because someone is loud, and even good at their role, doesn’t always make them a leader. Does making a player a “Captain” make them a “Leader”... no. I expect to see Jackson step up to be the leader of the O-line. I expect Seiler to be the leader of the D-line. I even expect Minkah F. to step into the role of the leader for the Secondary. I guess the real question in my mind is will Waddle step up to be the leader of the Receivers, or will Hill drown him out? Ideally, you expect your QB to be that Leader, but I just don’t see it from Tua, regardless of the smoke McDaniel tries to blow up our bums.

DolfaninME is not down with that, whatever that is!

F that. I have witnessed many acts of leadership from Tua. I saw him horsecollar an O L arguing with a defensive player and drag him back to the huddle. That is leadership. You just watch him on the field you know who the leader is. With regard to Ramsey, Miami didn’t want him and got rid of him and got Minkah in return. That tells the team that they will dump guys who aren’t on board.

Francesco ITA has a link to a good story to check out.

Interesting and spot on article on CBS.com about the Dolphins

It basically say all the things we are saying everyday here (except the deluded hopefuls club)

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/after-a-tumultuous-offseason-its-time-for-dolphins-to-prove-they-have-the-fortitude-of-a-real-contender/

coach k 13 is old.

All i can do is hope for the best, just like the last 45 years and hope we get one more Superbowl before i expire!!!! GO DOLPHINS!!!!, no matter who the leaders are.

sdphinsfan says they are positions that need to be filled. But who will those guys be?

If we’re asking the question, we already have the answer. When you watch a team play a game, you see who the leaders are. If you don’t see them, it’s a good indication you don’t have them, or you have the wrong ones.....

To me, that’s the rub. Ramsey was touted as a leader. Bad choice. Hill is touted as a leader...Bad choice. TA was touted as a leader. Good choice if you can look past all the snaps he wasn’t out there for. CC...obviously a leader.

In this regard, we’re a team in transition in the leadership department with a vacuum at the top.

Lefty55555 sees the coaching staff allowing the players to make the rules the root of the problem.

Flo never had this problem. Ramsey would have been late once and then fined, twice suspended, three times traded. That is how you set culture. You hold the best players accountable even if it means you have to play with less talent on Sunday. This regime has let the players make the rules. THIS DOES NOT NOW NOR NEVER HAS WORKED. Someone has to be the bad guy and that guy is your head coach. Our HC just does not seem to have that in him although they are one move away from making me think they are trending in the right direction. That move is to trade Tyreek. I would rather lose with team-oriented men than win (not playoff games mind you) with prima donnas.

herbert pollack says the issue is that there needs to be an upgrade in the roll.

The team doesnt lack leadership it lacks good leadership

SlayerNation1 believes that there are no natural leaders currently on the roster that we know of.

https://youtu.be/Sd80QsMDeUI?si=00dTcQQXi61J7Gu2

The team is bereft of Leaders in the truest sense. They have players who aren’t natural born but thrown into the role by default.

Sieler is probably the closest but I don’t get the vibe He is comfortable in the role. Tua is a leader again by default as the QB1 usually is, not in the “take over games, pit the team on my back” sense.

Minkah will be a Captain, again by default.

Assante Sr. could very well have lifted the comments nearly verbatim from this forum.

Florio’s essay on Ross being a NY absentee guy resonates even more. Ross throws money around but I question His commitment to building a Winner in fact (capital W, meaningful Winning).

Again, pejorative adjectives peppered throughout assessments of this organization: soft, rudderless, spineless, clueless…

2026, I have to hold out hope for change, new vision and new voices. The Riddick/Weaver ticket should generate some votes.

That’s our random ten comments for this evening. The consensus is that there’s probably not one, at least as to who or how this team will find its leadership. There is agreement that there is a lack of leadership, so at least we have that in common. Thank you, as always, to each of you who took the time to read and respond to our Phinsider Question Of The Day.

Source: https://www.thephinsider.com/2025/7/15/24468379/your-miami-dolphins-team-leaders

 

[Miami Dolphins]

Tyreek Hill still ranks highly in ESPN wide receivers list despite down year

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Tyreek Hill comes in at #3, while Jaylen Waddle receives votes in latest ESPN rankings.

As we continue to examine ESPN’s list of the top-ten players at each position in the National Football League, we finally come to a position where the Miami Dolphins are well represented — wide receivers.

The Dolphins have two speedster receivers who are mentioned — one in the top-ten, while the other was mentioned in the “receiving votes” category (as was Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa).

Even after a down year, Tyreek Hill has the respect of NFL executives, coaches and scouts — clocking in at #3 on ESPN’s list. That means the 31-year-old receiver only dropped one spot from last year’s rankings where he came in at #2 on the list despite his monumental drop in production from 2023 to 2024 (840 yards less receiving and 7 less touchdowns).

Here is what an unnamed NFC executive had to say about Hill:

“He still impacts how you prepare for them so much due to his speed. He dictates so much. His speed hasn’t fallen off, despite the down year.”

A veteran AFC scout chimed in:

“Even if he’s lost a half-step, he’s still more explosive than everyone — power with raw speed. I do think defenses have made some adjustments to that (Miami) offense, letting him run around with window dressing and limiting big plays.”

Hill comes in just behind top ranking receiver Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals and Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings.

The Dolphins’ highly paid #2 receiver, Jaylen Waddle, was also mentioned in ESPN’s rankings — receiving votes while not cracking the top-ten. If you take those listed in that category in order, Waddle was ranked as the 25th best wide receiver in the NFL.

It’s no surprise that Miami’s wide receivers are well represented on ESPN’s top-ten list — as Miami’s offense has performed at its best when Hill and Waddle are both healthy and productive. If the Dolphins want to return to the offensive heights of the 2022 and 2023 seasons, they’ll need both speed demons contributing heavily in 2025.

For the entire list from ESPN, click here.

Source: https://www.thephinsider.com/2025/7...rs-list-despite-down-year-waddle-tua-mcdaniel

 

[Miami Dolphins]

Is De’Von Achane in danger of missing Week One?

If you’ve been following Miami Dolphins practice reports closely in anticipation of the soon-arriving 2025 NFL season, you’ve probably noticed a glaring absence for one of the team’s most explosive players on offense — that being star third-year running back De’Von Achane.

Achane has a calf injury — one that was suffered during joint practices earlier this month — and has been limited to rehab exercises at Dolphins practice. Some have wondered if Achane’s lingering ailment will cost him game action during the regular season.

On Wednesday, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier spoke with the South Florida media and updated everyone on the health status of Achane.

“All indications are Achane will be ready Week 1.” – Dolphins GM Chris Grier on De’Von Achane calf injury.

They will add a couple of RBs to practice squad for depth especially with Jaylen Wright set to miss game time.

— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) August 27, 2025

This Dolphins regime has been notoriously cautious in the way they handle injuries — with some players even voicing frustration over being forced to sit when they felt they were healthy enough to play. With that being noted, Achane is not completely out of the woods yet, and with rookie running back Ollie Gordon impressing his coaches, teammates and fans in a big way this preseason, the club could still limit Achane’s role in week one while putting more on the plate of Gordon, plus the yet-to-be-named practice squad tailbacks.

We will continue to keep you updated regarding Achane’s injury, plus all things Miami Dolphins as the regular season is set to kick off for the team on Sunday, September 7th on the road against the Indianapolis Colts.

Source: https://www.thephinsider.com/miami-...is-devon-achane-in-danger-of-missing-week-one