Miami Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington (6) celebrates in the endzone with teammates after scoring in the first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars during an NFL football game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Saturday, August 23, 2025. PHOTO BY AL DIAZ adiaz@miamiherald.com
At the end of the 2024 season, after the Miami Dolphins had produced a 8-9 record, missed the playoff for the first time in Mike McDaniel’s three seasons, and the team’s owner made his expectations for the next season crystal clear.
In statement that announced general manager Chris Grier and McDaniel would be retained, Steve Ross pointed out he made that decision because he valued continuity, but added that the “status quo” won’t do.
That means his expectation for 2025 is for the Dolphins to get off the mediocrity merry-go-round, produce a winning record and possibly end the team’s 25 streak of not winning a playoff game. But does this 2025 team have the talent to do so?
Here are 10 questions that will help us determine that answer.
Does Miami have enough healthy tailbacks?
Absolutely not considering De’Von Achane is nursing a calf issue, which is one of the worst injuries for a speed reliant tailback to be suffering from, and Jaylen Wright sustained a right knee injury that might require a surgical procedure. That leaves rookie tailback Ollie Gordon II, a 2025 sixth-round pick, as the team’s only healthy tailback expected to make the 53-man roster, and McDaniel admitted he’s still learning the Dolphins’ playbook. That means he likely needs more time to know his assignments. Miami will need to add to this unit before the team’s first regular season game, and a veteran who already knows the offense would be beneficial.
Who plays left tackle if Patrick Paul sustains an injury?
At this moment it appears Larry Borom is the backup tackle, and that’s troublesome considering he was a nightmare at left tackle when he was forced to play that spot for the Chicago Bears last season, and years prior to that. Kion Smith has served as Paul’s understudy in two of Miami’s exhibition games, but he’s seemingly still recovering from the knee injury that sidelined him for all of 2024.
Miami Dolphins offensive tackle Larry Borom (79) and guard James Daniels (78) set up to block against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first half of an NFL football game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Saturday, August 23, 2025. PHOTO BY AL DIAZ adiaz@miamiherald.com
Do Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill have chemistry issues?
Miami’s top offensive weapon has practiced with the team for all of two weeks since January because he spent the offseason rehabbing a surgically repaired wrist, which prevented him from catching passes, and then sustained an oblique injury that got him shut down before the exhibition season started three weeks ago. Considering Hill has been Tagovailoa’s favorite target for the past three seasons it’s possible that they will gel quickly, especially once McDaniel’s game planning for Hill to touch the ball 10-plus times a game. But based on what we’ve seen in training camp, their chemistry appears to be off.
Can Miami count on Darren Waller to produce like Jonnu Smith?
Considering how close Waller is to offensive coordinator Frank Smith it’s safe to assume Miami knew Waller wanted to unretire and play for the Dolphins before they packaged Smith with cornerback Jalen Ramsey in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers that helped Miami reacquire safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. Waller hasn’t practiced all training camp because of an undisclosed injury, but Miami’s coaches claim he has already mastered the playbook. The best hope is that Waller spends the season’s first month gaining chemistry with Tagovailoa, who leans on the tight ends as chain-movers on third downs.
Can defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver deliver the Dolphins a third straight top-10 defense?
Last season the Dolphins defense finished the year fourth in yards allowed per game (314.4) and touchdowns allowed (36), and that was the first time a Dolphins defense had finished a season in the top five in 22 years. The most impressive part of the success Weaver’s unit had is the fact they weren’t strong when it came to stopping the run, creating turnovers, or producing sacks. Imagine what could happen if they turned up the volume on all three of those areas, which could be the case with the return of Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips, two edge rushers who missed most or all of last season because of knee injuries, and the addition of Pro Bowl safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. and Jack Jones, who has a reputation as a gambling ballhawk.
Can Miami’s pass rush compensate for the inexperience of the cornerbacks?
The Dolphins have four edge rushers in Chubb, Phillips, Chop Robinson and Matthew Judon who could start for most of the league’s 31 other teams. Pair them with Zach Sieler, who has produced 20 sacks the past two seasons, and the Dolphins have five players who possess the skill set to deliver double-digit sacks if they play all 17 games. Weaver’s hope is that he can play the defensive front in waves, keeping everyone fresh and relatively healthy when December and January arrives. The goal is for Miami to create pressure on quarterbacks without blitzing heavily, which would allow the secondary to mostly play cloud coverages in this zone based scheme.
Miami Dolphins linebacker Chop Robinson (44) sacks Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback John Wolford (18) in the first half during an NFL football game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Saturday, August 23, 2025. PHOTO BY AL DIAZ adiaz@miamiherald.com
Is Minkah Fitzpatrick still an impactful defender?
In Miami’s 20 training camp practices and preseason games Fitzpatrick has pulled down three jaw-dropping interceptions, two of which would have likely produced pick-six interceptions. That proves Fitzpatrick’s instincts are still there, and Tagovailoa has pointed out that they play a daily chess game where Fitzpatrick is consistently taking Tagovailoa’s primary target. Imagine what can happen if Fitzpatrick plays all 17 games in 2025 and creates the same headache for Miami’s opposing quarterbacks.
Can the Dolphins run the ball efficiently?
Miami’s struggle with the run game suffocated the offense last season, forcing the Dolphins’ passing game to become a dink-and-dunk style offense since opposing safeties backed up further than usual to prevent the deep ball. The Dolphins can’t get back to being one of the NFL’s top 10 offenses with a running game that 4.0 yards per carry, and 105.5 rushing yards per game, which are both below the NFL average for last season. Miami’s starting offensive line has only worked together for 10 practices this summer because of the foot injury Austin Jackson sustained early in training camp, so Miami’s run game will likely be a work in progress throughout the season. And it doesn’t help that Achane, who led the team with 907 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns in 2024, is nursing a calf injury.
Who will be Miami’s leaders?
Terron Armstead’s retirement and Calais Campbell’s departure to Arizona left a massive leadership void in the locker room. Those were the two veterans the entire team leaned on, and now that responsibility must be divided up among Tagovailoa, Zach Sieler, Jordyn Brooks, Aaron Brewer and Minkah Fitzpatrick, a newcomer to this version of the Dolphins team. Each has a different leadership style, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be as effective. Also, don’t be surprised if Achane, Jaylen Waddle and Jaelan Phillips step forward and become leaders this season.
Will owner Ross make changes if Dolphins don’t have a successful season?
Ross has been more distant than usual with this franchise, and that has been a tell tale-sign of how he feels about the state of his NFL franchise, which was once his pride and joy. While Ross despises the hiring process, which has consistently been rough to him, the one thing he’s sensitive to is apathy, and the Dolphins seem to be headed in that direction based on the tone of the fan base. Only winning will cure that, so expect changes if the Dolphins fail to so do. And those changes might take place before the season concludes if Miami isn’t in the playoff hunt by the Week 12 bye, which takes place in mid-November.
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, left, and Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier, right, on the field before the start of the game against the Jacksonville Jaguar s at Hard Rock Stadium. Al Diaz adiaz@miamiherald.com