The NFL can often be all about new beginnings. The Miami Dolphins are at the start of their rebuild. In Atlanta, Tua Tagovailoa has been named their Week 1 starter. But for other players, the start of the season can also mean the reality that their careers may be at an end.
The Dolphins underwent significant changes this past offseason. Some moves were for the better, some were necessary, and others were to clean up a mess left by 9 years of Chris Grier.
Regardless of how fans think about certain players, we have to remember that they played in a game that most of us could only dream about. We tip our hats to their efforts, even when those efforts were not what we would have expected from an NFL-caliber player.
The 2026 season is about to start, but for several former Dolphins, being without a team is a strong indication that their careers may be close to over. For the Dolphins, change was inevitable; for these players, their futures might be as well.
For several Miami Dolphins players, their future may be off the football field
Tyreek Hill's future is still uncertain
Could we have seen the last of Hill in an NFL uniform? Probably not, but the fact that his recovery is still a long way off makes his future cloudy. Hill is recovering from a devastating knee injury in week four of the 2025 season. He still isn't close to getting back on the field.
Hill's game is based on speed, and he has already said he doesn't have power in his injured leg. There are questions about his durability now, but more importantly, can he regain the speed that set him apart from the rest of the receivers? Without that speed, Hill is an average undersized receiver.
Artie Burns may never get another chance
It's one thing to get hurt in a game, but for Burns, he tore his ACL while walking off the field after stretching on the first day of training camp. His one-year deal with the Dolphins led to a season-ending IR stint and, ultimately, to being without a team in 2026.
Burns' biggest issue may not be the injury, but his erratic, up-and-down, inconsistent play when he was healthy, which wasn't often. It would be surprising if another team gave him a shot this year, and if he doesn't play this year, it's hard to see him playing at this level again.
Liam Eichenberg's forgettable NFL journey is over
Eichenberg's biggest supporter was Chris Grier. He isn't with the Dolphins anymore. Miami gave him a one-year free-agent deal during the 2025 offseason. He was injured early in camp and was placed on the PUP list, ending his season. His knee injury likely ended his career.
Eichenberg previously expressed doubt about playing in the league again, and given the prognosis of the injury being degenerative, the former 2nd-round pick, whom the Dolphins traded up for, will be an afterthought.
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