It's rare for an NFL team to enter a season with no hope at all, but the Dolphins seem to be realistic about 2026 being a transitional year.
The new regime of coach Jeff Hafley and GM Jon-Eric Sullivan is building from the ground up, a process that began with exits by Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Bradley Chubb and Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Malik Willis is now the Dolphins' presumed starter at quarterback, and Miami figures to run the ball often between Willis and De'Von Achane. Whether this team has the firepower to run a competent offense with a total lack of receiving weapons is a major question, and the defense has numerous concerns in the secondary and the pass-rush.
The wrong kind of schedule luck could bury the Dolphins and make the No. 1 overall pick in 2027 a realistic possibility.
Here is a complete breakdown of the Dolphins' 2026 schedule, including dates, start times and analysis for all 17 games.
Miami Dolphins schedule 2026
Home opponents: Bears, Bengals, Bills, Chargers, Chiefs, Jets, Lions, Patriots
Away opponents: 49ers, Bills, Broncos, Colts, Jets, Packers, Patriots, Raiders, Vikings
Every NFL team's 2026 opponents are predetermined. Miami's full 2026 NFL schedule with dates, times and TV networks will be updated below when the NFL schedule is announced at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 14.
Week Date Opponent Kickoff time (ET) TV channel
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Dolphins strength of schedule
While the Dolphins had the 21st-toughest schedule by opponent win percentage entering last season, the road is about to get much tougher for Miami.
The Dolphins have the second-toughest schedule in terms of opponent win percentage from last season, coming in at .542. That's the toughest schedule in the AFC, thanks in part to some tough matchups with other divisions.
Toughest tests: The Dolphins finished third in the AFC East last season, which did them no favors in the scheduling department. By finishing third and not fourth, Miami secured matchups with the Bengals, Colts and 49ers rather than the Browns, Titans and Cardinals. The Dolphins also have to face the entire NFC North, which saw every team finished above .500 last season, along with the Chargers, Broncos and Chiefs in the AFC South and both the Bills and Patriots twice.
Biggest breaks: Only six of the Dolphins' 17 games come against teams that finished under .500 last season: the Raiders, Bengals, Chiefs, Colts and Jets twice. Cincinnati and Kansas City obviously expect to be much better assuming their quarterbacks are healthy, while the Colts were leading the AFC South before fading in the wake of Daniel Jones' injury. That means those two games against the Jets will be especially critical for the Dolphins to win if they want to save face.
Dolphins record prediction
Over/under win total: 4.5
Bottom line: The Dolphins have a long way to go to compete again, and they know it. Willis has plenty to prove as a starter, but with perhaps the NFL's worst receiving corps, it won't be easy for Miami to establish a passing game. The defense, meanwhile, has numerous questions in the secondary and should struggle to pressure quarterbacks. With such a tough schedule, it's hard to imagine more than four wins unless some breaks come their way.
Record prediction: 3-14