A Refreshing Change

A Refreshing Change

When anyone in the Miami Dolphins organization is asked if 2026 is a “rebuild”, players and coaches, and top management alike say not a “No”, but a “Hell, No!”

That is a good thing, maybe a great thing for this franchise.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel sports writers Chris Perkins and David Furones have also expressed this sentiment.

Coach Jeff Hafley and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan have come to play.

And play hard.

With a choice of players who want to win.

And with players with passion.

Work hard, study after hours, and “attend” meetings.

It is not a playground. It is work.

And this new leadership of managers, coaches, and players understands this.

We do not yet know, or will for a while longer, who will end up on the 53-man roster and the practice squad, who will be picked up on waivers, or who will be released.

Yet a fundamental change is happening, and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley have begun to establish a brand-new identity for the Miami Dolphins.

When your team leaders such as linebacker Jordyn Brooks and new quarterback Malik Willis lead by example, the new culture is taking shape.

Brooks recently said that his goal as a team is to win a playoff game and beyond, a far cry from saying “rebuild” or “tank.”

Willis invites his receivers to Jacksonville in the off-season to get to know their playing style, catch radius, individual speeds, and preferred placement of the football, etc. Willis is exhibiting true leadership.

NFL pundits will continue to say that the 2026 Miami Dolphins are either the worst or the second-worst team, behind the Arizona Cardinals.

Vegas oddsmakers continue to forecast the Dolphins over/under of 4.5 wins.

But despite those pessimistic prognostications, as a fan, you must be encouraged by the significant change in attitude on this team.

A far cry from what we have been accustomed to in very recent years.

And a refreshing change.