5 Dolphins Players Facing the Most Pressure in 2026

With a new coaching staff and front office, the Miami Dolphins are going to use 2026 as an evaluation year. They’ve already cut ties with key contributors from their past, and have a few big names with plenty to prove this upcoming season.

Let’s count them down.

5. Zach Sieler, Defensive Tackle

Formerly an unsung hero of Miami’s defense, defensive tackle Zach Sieler struggled after receiving an extension in August of 2025. Now, he’s entering his age 31 season, with a potential off-ramp in his contract following this year. He likely isn’t long for the Dolphins, but is instead likely playing for his next deal.

If Miami moves on from Sieler next spring, he’ll potentially have his last opportunity to receive a big payday. This pseudo-contract-year dilemma gives the eight-year veteran motivation to prove that last season was a product of working with a young and unproven supporting cast, rather than the beginning of a decline.

4. Austin Jackson, Offensive Tackle

It’s been a long couple of years for former 2020 first-round pick Austin Jackson. In 2023, he was looking like a key building block of a strong line, starting 16 games and developing into a road grader in the run game. In the two seasons since, however, he’s started only 14 total games.

Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan is aware of this, telling a group of South Florida reporters in Arizona this week that the six-year veteran has “got to stay healthy.” If Jackson can do so in 2026, a contract year for the former USC Trojans' star, he could be in line for a major payday from the Dolphins or elsewhere.

3. Jonah Savaiinaea, Offensive Guard

It feels wrong putting a top 40 pick this high on the list less than a year after he was drafted, but Jonah Savaiinaea has plenty to prove in 2026. While he started 17 games between top-end starters in Patrick Paul and Aaron Brewer, the 22-year-old never truly found his footing as a rookie.

Sullivan said in Arizona that there will be competition at the left guard spot, along with an acknowledgement that Savaiinaea must find some consistency. Miami is looking for a significant jump out of its 2025 second-round pick, and if the Dolphins can get it, they’ll solidify the left side of their line. If he doesn’t perform, however, it’s easy to see how a new coaching staff would have a short leash.

2. Malik Willis, Quarterback

Malik Willis is Miami’s franchise quarterback, at least for now. The Dolphins signed Willis this offseason to a three-year deal worth $45 million guaranteed, bringing him over from Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan’s former home: the Green Bay Packers.

This would, in theory, give Willis some job stability. However, Sullivan has stated on multiple occasions that Miami will be aggressive when pursuing their franchise guy, similar to how Green Bay drafted Jordan Love with Aaron Rodgers already on the roster. Combine the team’s philosophy with the vaunted 2027 draft, and Willis will have to make the most of 2026 if he wants to be the unquestioned starter moving forward.

1. Chop Robinson, Edge

Miami’s 2024 first-round pick has had an up-and-down start to his career. After some growing pains in his rookie season, he came alive as the season went on, getting all six of his sacks in the final 10 games of his first year. Last season, however, he never got back to that late-2024 form, recording only 27 pressures, which is less than half of his rookie total of 56.

Robinson’s size has likely already put him behind the 8-ball with this new regime. Green Bay has a long history of taking heavy edge defenders, like Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness, but Chop is 2 inches shorter and 20 pounds lighter than both of them, and fits more of a speed archetype.

Jeff Hafley has been quoted as saying he “can't wait to coach him", and the edge room will never have less competition than it does right now. However, Robinson’s skill set will have to round out if he is going to be an every-down contributor for this team.