Going into the 2025 season, the writing was on the wall for a potential Dolphins implosion. Ownership chose to ignore the signs and opted to bring back head coach Mike McDaniel for another run.
That decision proved to be a massive misstep, as Miami has gone into a tailspin and looks further from relevance than it has in quite some time.
After being embarrassed by the Indianapolis Colts in the opener, the ‘Phins have gone on to lose five of their past six games. Their lone victory came by less than a touchdown against a fellow dysfunctional franchise in the New York Jets.
This collapse shouldn’t have been unexpected. Miami had a questionable offseason, one in which star cornerback Jalen Ramsey and top pass-catching tight end Jonnu Smith were dealt to the Pittsburgh Steelers for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick despite not having obvious replacements for either in-house.
The team’s draft class has been underwhelming too, with first-round pick Kenneth Grant making a limited impact along with most of the rest of the team’s rookies—players who this depleted roster direly needed to step up in order to find success in 2025.
Perhaps most pivotally, the team failed to implement a much-needed culture shift. After Bradley Chubb shed light on how the Dolphins were “lying” about changing the culture last year—a season that ended with superstar wideout Tyreek Hill appearing to quit on the club—similar issues continued to crop up in 2025.
Things came to a head when Tua Tagovailoa took to the podium following a Week 6 loss and criticized teammates for their tardiness to player’s-only meetings. While the quarterback did issue a retraction and said he needs to do better as a leader, it showed that there are still issues lurking under the surface in South Beach.
Considering there were whispers that McDaniel had already lost the locker room last season, Tua’s recent comments along with the 1-6 start suggests there was a good bit truth behind those reports.
The ‘Phins are now going to have a tough time navigating themselves back into contention in wake of this disastrous season.
Not only does Miami need a new coaching staff, but the roster has several glaring holes including at the quarterback position.
It’s now uncertain whether Tagovailoa is the right signal-caller for this unit, as the veteran’s well-documented injury issues and inconsistencies—including throwing a league-high 10 picks and benching late in a Week 7 defeat—makes it tough to trust him. Tagovailoa’s regression, coupled with a blockbuster contract that runs through the 2028 campaign, will hamstring roster construction unless he returns to Pro Bowl form.
While the Dolphins do have an out from Tua’s deal after the 2027 campaign and will likely give him another opportunity to prove himself under a new head coach next season, there’s a strong chance that this arrangement won’t work out and that Miami doesn’t get things figured out for a few more years.
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