This is Not 2019 All Over Again

This is Not 2019 All Over Again

The Miami Dolphins once again find themselves in an unfavorable position heading into the 2026 season. With the team coming off a lackluster season where they finished 7-10, and they fired general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel, the team is at a crossroads.

However, it isn’t one that fans are unfamiliar with; just 7 years ago, the team went all-in on tanking in the hopes that Tua Tagovailoa could save them. 

The tank for Tua movement was successful in the short term; Miami went 5-11 and secured the 5th overall pick, which they would use on Tagovailoa. The long term wasn’t as great as the team was unable to win consistently, and despite two playoff appearances, they didn’t manage any postseason wins. 

This brings us to the current day, where many thought that the team would once again tank in the hopes of landing a premier prospect in the 2027 draft.

Instead, they seem to be retooling, shedding big contracts and formerly star players while reshaping their team to the sensibilities of new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley. The biggest move in that direction was, of course, the signing of quarterback Malik Willis. 

Willis was the backup quarterback for the Packers the past few seasons and filled in admirably for Jordan Love when he was called upon. His 3 year $67.5 million contract isn’t so large that it would set Miami back should he not succeed. The potential upside is well worth the limited risk.

However, not everyone in the league agrees on that point of view. 

In a new article, Mike Sando quotes an anonymous NFL executive who was extremely critical of the Willis signing. 

“To me, this is 2019 all over again,” he said. They should not have signed Malik Willis. They should have taken the full Tua cap charge in one season. They should have gone with Quinn Ewers and just played out the season.”

The idea that tanking automatically leads to success is flawed, as evidenced by the Dolphins themselves. To try the same strategy that just failed spectacularly would alienate some fans who want to actually have something to root for in 2026.

Personally, I respect that Miami seems to be trying to remain competitive while offloading some egregious contracts from the previous regime. 

Obviously, no one knows if this will work out any better than the tanking did; however, as they say, the definition of insanity is “Doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.” Some will argue that not tanking is insane in its own right; only time will tell who is truly sane.

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