Jeff Hafley Must Coach Aggressively in 2026

Jeff Hafley Must Coach Aggressively in 2026

It is officially game week for the Miami Dolphins.

That means it is not only the team’s first game of the year but also the first for the new head coach, Jeff Hafley.

Usually, when it is someone’s first career game at the helm, I would caution that coach to be careful.

But for Hafley, that advice is the exact opposite.

I would advise him to go full speed ahead and throw caution to the wind, starting in week one against the Las Vegas Raiders.

The reason he is carefree in 2026 is pretty simple.

With very little expected of his team in his first season, there is little to be lost from him making an aggressive call, whether that be going for it on a fourth-down call, going for two to win instead of going for a tie, or even calling for a fake on a special teams play.

That is usually the role reserved for an underdog in the college game, a role that Hafley is familiar with after patrolling the sidelines for a few years with Boston College when the Eagles were underdogs many times, especially once NIL came to fruition.

This year’s Dolphins are basically a plucky, upstart college team, as they are the youngest team in the league (25.4 years old) with a roster that features 18 players drafted in the last two seasons.

Miami also has many players on prove-it deals, undrafted players, and those claimed off waivers just weeks before the season began.

It is easy to see why expectations are so low for 2026, and that is before you take into account just how tough the schedule is shaping up to be.

But in a year like this, with a new coach in Hafley who is trying to establish a strong culture and team identity, why not be aggressive at any and every opportunity?

His job is pretty safe regardless of what the results are this season.

Hafley should try and push the limits of this team to truly see who can be counted on for future years.

Think of this year’s Dolphins like an FCS or Group of 6 team traveling to play a college football powerhouse on the road.

Those teams usually pull out all the stops to try and secure a win.

The 2026 Dolphins, with nothing to lose, should adopt the same mentality.