Competitive or Bottom Dwellers

Competitive or Bottom Dwellers

If you read or watch NFL experts predict the 2026 season results, albeit way too premature, the Miami Dolphins rank at the bottom.

I have seen second in the draft, first in the 2027 draft, and last in post-draft power rankings.

Meaning the NFL experts predict the 2026 Dolphins will be terrible.

On the other hand, General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and Coach Jeff Hafley are building an entirely new culture and expect players to be tough, hard-nosed, and competitive in every play.

Is this new attitude going to translate to a record that’s better than the worst or second-worst in the league?

The 2024 New England Patriots were 3-14, and in 2025, they reached the Super Bowl.

Closer to home, the 2007 Miami Dolphins were 1-15, and the 2008 Miami Dolphins were 11-5.

The Dolphins unseated the Patriots that year to become AFC East champs, only to be true to form and lose in the wild-card round.

Can such a dramatic turnaround be possible for the 2026 Dolphins?

Anything is possible, but it is highly unlikely.

Will the Dolphins be competitive?

If “competitive” means giving maximum effort on every play, playing with grit and determination, then yes, the Dolphins will be competitive.

Because if a player does not give maximum effort, Coach Hafley has made it clear that he will be replaced.

Yet the Achilles’ heel of the 2026 roster remains: the Dolphins are a very young team.

And in the NFL, barring some outliers, young players take time to develop and learn the ways of being a professional football player.

As for me, I will enjoy the ride because we are finally being led by a new front office that will give the team a fresh start and a new direction.

Only time will tell if Sullivan and Hafley prove successful, but so far, from the outside looking in, they have clear goals and a clear vision for the franchise’s future.