Latest Dolphins schedule predictions have NFL giving Miami an unfortunate travel partner

The 2025 NFL season schedule is on the verge of being released, and soon enough we'll know "who, when, and where" for all of Miami's games. 

However, reading between the lines, there are some trends to look at in recent years that perhaps can help us make some educated guesses about the Dolphins' schedule.  Here are three predictions in advance of the league's release. 

1) The Miami Dolphins will face the Washington Commanders in Madrid. 

This an opponent that has been rumored the most strongly among the possible candidates, with the Cincinnati Bengals also having been rumored to be in the conversation. 

However, let's take a look at what the NFL did with Brazil last year in the league's first ever game there.  They gave them one of the biggest games of the year with two NFC playoff teams from the year before in the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers meeting up. Talk about a "welcome to the NFL" type of gift. 

I can see that happening again in the first-ever game in Spain with a red-hot team like the Washington Commanders and rising league star in Jayden Daniels going against Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, and the Dolphins.  That should draw a significant amount of interest. 

2) The Dolphins will open up at home against an AFC East rival.

The NFL in recent years has given out a handful of divisional games on the Week 1 slate, that the Dolphins haven't taken part in that trend since 2022, when they opened up the season with a 20-7 win over the New England Patriots. 

Miami opened against the Chargers and Jaguars in 2023 and 2024, respectively. As such, it feels like it could be time for the Dolphins to see one of their six annual division games come on the season's opening Sunday. 

3) The Dolphins will have three night games by the end of the season.

Miami will have the eyes of the world on them when they play in Madrid, but the Dolphins still provide an entertaining brand of football that should continue to earn them prime time opportunities.  

Miami will have a Thursday night football game that will net them one night game, and with games against the AFC North, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, the LA Chargers, and divisional rivals, there's definitely a distinct possibility they see themselves on two more times on Monday Night and/or Sunday Night Football. 

We'll find out soon enough which, if any, of these predictions come true, as the NFL's complete 2025 schedule for all teams will be revealed on Wednesday, May 14 at 8:00 pm ET.