Agreeing with the pundits that the 2026 Miami Dolphins season could be a rough one is not to tough to come by. Rookies are in the building and camp is a week away, but before all the god-awful  suffering commences, there are a few events that got us here that are worth pointing out because at the time, not all of them seemed like they would turn into positives.

It is a challenge to look at Miami’s current roster and salary cap and feel fortunate. But when you’re an organization looking to get back to “scratch,” things don’t always go your way, even when it’s a clearinghouse.

Before first-year general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan had even secured the job in Miami – shoot, while it was still Champ Kelly’s post for a minute, Mike McDaniel was still head coach and a GM search committee was forming – pieces started falling in place, taking a precarious route.

And these respective events didn’t always feel like a good thing, but hindsight has its way.

A FRACTURED RELATIONSHIP

The first domino that fell in Miami came on a Monday night in Pittsburgh where the McDaniel-led Dolphins were embarrassed in a game that mattered, quarterback Tua Tagavailoa laid down a listless performance, then yucked it up postgame on-field with his head coach’s arch-rival and ‘25 locker room clearout, Jalen Ramsey. 

Tua proceeded to take the locker room to the lectern once again and the love affair between QB and head coach came to a public crashing halt. And it isn’t inconsequential to the Dolphins of today.

Without the falling out that seemingly crystalized that night, would McDaniel have moved on to rookie Quinn Ewers for the final three games? Yes, playoff hopes were dead, but if the glowing relationship of the past still existed with Tua, would McDaniel have benched him?

THANKS FOR THE FILM

When McDaniel announces mid-week Ewers is to start ahead of both a now-shunned Tagavailoa and season-long No. 2 quarterback Zach Wilson, the second domino falls. Starting a rookie at quarterback made it all the more natural to play the rest of the rookies, and this helped the current regime.

McDaniel was put out front for a season-ending presser and the Darren Waller account of owner Steven Ross firing McDaniel mid-exit interviews means the Dolphins decision makers still planned on McDaniel as their coach in 2026 during those last three games of ‘25, and a few days beyond.

So, whether it was McDaniel, Ross, Troy Aikman or Kelly who ordered the early youth movement, it was ultimately another win for Sullivan because those three games get them tape on players in real NFL games that wouldn’t have likely happened had McDaniel thought he was fighting for his job. 

Ewers showed in his time that he has a future in the NFL. There is no telling at what level, but he showed the leadership and poise few young quarterbacks come into the league with, and looking back, it started this time last year when he took command of the rookie class.

He wasn’t provided a true starting cast either in those last few games, but he looked pretty good (55-of-83 (66.3), 622 yards, 3 TD/3 int.) all things considered. It’s wild to consider Ewers finished the season having taken practically a fifth of the team’s snaps at quarterback. It’s also a blessing.

Those final three games saw increased workload (and game tape) for players like CB Jason Marshall Jr., DL Zeek Biggers, RB Jaylen Wright and IOL Andrew Meyer, who played the entire game against the Bucs at center with Aaron Brewer dinged up.

McDANIEL’S SHINE FADE

Though Sullivan has stated that McDaniel was fired before he was brought on, it was nevertheless a good thing considering the post-mortem regarding the former head coach.

Former players revealed a culture that led to the head coach not being respected. The stories that made the rounds showed a guy not ready to be a professional yet, at least not head coach-level. Sullivan was better off not having to be a part of it and providing culture change as one of the mantras, and one that seemingly has already played out in the form of a new level of accountability.

RELATIONSHIPS GAVE MIAMI INSIDE TRACK

The hiring of Jeff Hafley as Miami’s coach was a no-brainer to those in Green Bay. Head coach Matt LaFleur reportedly commented “he’s gone” to staff about his defensive coordinator once Sullivan was announced as Dolphins’ general manager.

Outside looking in, that Green Bay connection and the two former Packers’ knowledge of and relationship with the market’s top quarterback (Malik Willis) led to the Dolphins – the team with the worst cap situation in the league — signing him. And not only that, but to a contract that feels like Willis had to have at least one or two more lucrative offers. 

MAKING BEST OF AN AFFORABILITY CRISIS

The goal was clear. Take ridiculous cap pain this year to ensure future cap functionality, even if it means a huge blow to the roster and paying out a league-high amount to players no longer on the team.

Willis’ signing and few others notwithstanding, Miami was able to sign a whopping 22 veterans to low salary, one-year contracts. It was done out of financial necessity, but also provides the team one more group to view against NFL gameday competition in hopes of uncovering a piece for the future, and at low cost.

It also must be stated that Sullivan did land in a great situation when it comes to an owner willing to spend, or in this case eat, a ton of money. So kudos to Mr. Ross and his endless supply of capital.

A LITTLE LUCK AT TIGHT END

Chief among the signees who could be considered good deal is mid-season 2025 addition TE Greg Dulcich, who didn’t find the field for the Dolphins until Week 8 but still finished with 26 receptions.

Asked what player to keep an eye on by ESPN’s Kevin Clark, Miami’s new GM didn’t hesitate.

“Dulcich,” said Sullivan. “I thought he had a really good back end of the season, and I want to see if he can build on that.”

On the flip side, one of the few players Sullivan tried to keep but failed was underappreciated blocking specialist Julian Hill, who ended up inking a three-year, $18 million deal with the Patriots. Miami offered Hill but at a number below his restricted free agency tender, making him unrestricted. Hill chose to bet on himself and it paid off.

At the time, the deal he got from New England was mildly surprising, but the 2025 NFL season and ‘26 draft showed there is a new league-wide value placed on blocking tight ends. 

Hill’s misfortune could have been Miami’s had Sullivan not been disciplined in his spending. The former Dolphins undrafted free agent-turned-starter was placed on injured reserve for the season after what was reported as a “devastating” knee injury.

THANKS CHAMP & SULLY KEEPS HIS WORD

Strapped for cash and now Y tight end needy, the Dolphins were able to get what they wanted by way of the draft and that came with a little help too.

The pick that Miami received from Philadelphia for Jaelan Phillips — the most memorable move of the Champ Kelly Era – ended up being used on Ohio State’s Will Kacmarek, a player tabbed to fill that blocking role.

There is no looking at that trade in hindsight straight up player-for-player – Phillips was not coming back to Miami regardless, so getting that pick was a nice job.

Then there’s Sullivan, doing even better than he asked of himself prior to the draft.

“It’s my job to try to turn these eight picks into 11 or 12 as we move forward, so we can get good value and get more swings in the at bat,” Sullivan said back in mid-February. “It always gives you a better chance to be successful when you have strength and numbers.”

–Jon-Eric Sullivan, February 2026

There are picks worth debating among the 13 Sullivan and Co. ended up making, but the sheer numbers will fit that “more swings” narrative.

It felt like a organizational-defining draft and the picks created by Sullivan trades that resulted in fourth round picks Trey Moore and Kyle Louis may end up looking like the best of all. Both are hybrid players who fit Hafley’s system where they might be seen as “tweeners” in others.

AND ABOUT THAT LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL…

Don’t get it twisted Dolphins fans. This likely will be a rough season in Miami.

But this is how you start winning. Reset the base. Set the foundation. Draft well and draft good people. Communicate expectations. Meetings start five minutes before the meeting starts and there darn sure isn’t music pumping through the hallway speakers 24/7. 

Young players will again be the order of the day this season and lumps will surely be taken. But the fog will clear in the form of those who take the next step and stick around, then by way of cap relief in 2027 and even more in 2028.

The Dolphins kicked off last season by getting their drawers blown off at Indianapolis after the whole world spent the preseason saying they were soft. The ‘26 season may start the same way on the scoreboard, but it just feels like the days of them being called soft are in the past.

A bare-bones starting point is the current location, and lucky to be here.