The Dolphins’ Season has Already Been a Rollercoaster Ride

The Dolphins’ Season has Already Been a Rollercoaster Ride

Being a Miami Dolphins fan can be trying, especially over the past few years, as every high seems to be met with an equal low. In that wa,y training camp has been a microcosm of the true fan experience. From injuries to trades to new deals, it’s had a bit of everything, and we’re not even at the first preseason game yet. 

Let’s start with the latest piece of news, which I consider positive. The Dolphins and Zach Sieler have come to terms on a new three-year extension worth $67.75 million, with $44 million of that guaranteed. Sieler remains one of the more underrated defensive tackles in the league, particularly in light of the Denver Broncos’ recent deal with Zach Allen (4 years – $102 million with $70 million guaranteed). Sieler’s deal feels like a bargain. 

Likewise, Minkah Fitzpatrick has been given a contract revision as he received a $16.2 million signing bonus while moving $2 million from 2026 to 2025. It’s important to keep the veterans of this team happy and, in Sieler’s case, reward a player who has contributed in a meaningful way over the past few seasons, locked and ready to set the tone for the rest of the team. 

The low points of the offseason have been in the form of injuries. I’m not sure if there’s something in the water down in Miami or if there is just a lack of water in extreme heat, but the Dolphins have suffered a litany of injuries already. Most recently, fullback Alec Ingold went down during a short-yardage situation in practice. The word is that Ingold suffered a concussion and is now in concussion protocol.  

Tackle Austin Jackson, who will need to be healthy if the offensive line has any chance of being a competent unit headed into next season, will be out for the foreseeable future.

Fortunately, he should be ready when the regular season starts. McDaniel commented on the lower leg injury and the expected timeline for return on Saturday. 

“The bottom line for me, where he is at, of all the guys, I would say, he had some time off, he knocked some rust off, he got back and, in my opinion, exceeded where he was playing before.” McDaniel said. “We are fortunate that the timetable doesn’t seem to be into the regular season…Austin is projected to be starting week one, so a good day for the Dolphins.” 

Unfortunately, the likes of Artie Burns and Kader Kohou weren’t so lucky. Both were looking to be essential members of the Dolphins’ secondary, and both have been lost for the season. Burns tore his ACL on the first day of camp and has since been placed on Injured Reserve. Kohou joined him on IR last Friday with a knee injury as well; he suffered it during a 1 on 1 drill when matched up with Tyreek Hill.

The losses have caused Miami to scramble to shore up a unit that was already being referred to as one of the weaker secondaries in football. Jack Jones, who most recently played for the Las Vegas Raiders, and Mike Hilton, last seen with the Bengals, have been signed to plug the holes. 

While the high and low nature of the news coming out of Dolphins training camp does little to alleviate the stress we all feel as Dolphins fans, at least we can’t complain about the team being boring. Something tells me that we will remain an interesting team as the preseason progresses. Let’s just hope that the positive stories begin to outpace the negative. Regardless, we at DolphinsTalk will be here with you every step of the way. 

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