Inheriting a Mess

Inheriting a Mess

When General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and Coach Jeff Hafley accepted their new positions with the Miami Dolphins, they knew there was no quick fix for this team.

And given their philosophy of building through the draft, the 2026 off-season will likely be a way to evaluate what players will remain on the roster and who will be released or traded.

And I don’t expect any flashy moves in the free agent market.

The Dolphins have no money to speak of and no quarterback, thanks to Chris Grier, with an assist from Mike McDaniel.

The first obvious step is to release Tua Tagovailoa, as he is not worth the draft capital other teams would be willing to part with.

There is a discussion about whether the Dolphins are willing to absorb the entire $99 million cap hit or spread it over the next two years.

But with the 2026 season being the start of a rebuild, just take the medicine all at once and structure the team to at least compete in 2027.

And hope to find a QB1 in the next two drafts.

The team does have some foundational pieces, such as De’Von Achane, Jordyn Brooks, Aaron Brewer, Jaylen Waddle, and a rookie class that underperformed in 2025.

Maybe Waddle becomes a casualty to gain an additional draft pick and save some salary cap dollars, and it is a foregone conclusion that Tyreek Hill has played his final down for the Dolphins.

Trading Bradley Chubb should earn the Dolphins another draft pick and save some more dollars.

But this rebuild will take time, and Godspeed to Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley as they have their work cut out for them.

Let’s begin cleaning up this mess.