The Miami Dolphins' preseason opener doesn't exactly get things off on an easy foot. Although the hosting Washington Commanders are coming off a down season themselves, they were a win away from the Super Bowl two years prior. They also meaningfully improved their roster this offseason.
Noble as the new Dolphins regime's efforts are to overhaul the culture and personnel, this first contest of the exhibition phase could be a grim reality check of how little quality depth they have. But that also creates opportunities for a certain trio of players who Fins fans should have their eyes on.
Then again, what sort of conclusions can we really draw from the preseason? Anyone remember the 4-0 preseason champion Detroit Lions of 2008? Yeah. They went 0-16 when it counted.
Not saying Miami will go 0-17 in 2026. I am saying we might actually see the Dolphins' backups look way sharper than usual. And in this here article, let's look at three players who have a lot on the line for a mere "friendly" matchup, to borrow World Cup phraseology. Too late? My b.
Players who need big performances in their Miami Dolphins preseason opener
Talented wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. can make his case for the 53-man roster
Once upon a time, Terrace Marshall Jr. was the No. 3 wide receiver behind Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson on the 2019 LSU national championship team. Then, the bizarre COVID season hit, and the wheels fell off the program for a while.
Marshall was still the 59th overall pick in the 2021 draft. Talent has never been the question. For whatever reason, it's never clicked for Marshall at the NFL level.
After a few years in Carolina, he's bounced around to the 49ers, Raiders, and Eagles before landing in Miami. Mostly a practice squad guy. A grand total of three receptions since the 2024 season began.
If ever there was a time for the light to flick on and Marshall to run with an opportunity, it's right now. Two of the Dolphins' three drafted rookie wideouts are nursing injuries: Kevin Coleman Jr. and Chris Bell. The only real competition for boundary snaps consists of Jalen Tolbert, Tutu Atwell, and, I guess, Jalen Reagor?
Seriously, if Marshall doesn't absolutely light up the Commanders' rather suspect backup secondary, he's gonna be taking his talents away from South Beach in short order.
Quinn Ewers is auditioning for future QB-needy teams
Quinn Ewers was a ballyhooed, historically great high school recruit and enjoyed a rather successful collegiate career with the Texas Longhorns. He made two starts at the end of last season for the Dolphins, and for a seventh-round rookie on a sinking ship of a team, he looked darn good to me.
I'm a big Ewers believer. There's a dawg inside this guy's rib cage. His snappy release, varied velocity, and underrated arm strength make him an intriguing QB with starter-quality upside.
Ewers just turned 23 in August. His best football is ahead of him. The potential is enormous. Against preseason competition, provided he gets decent pass protection, Ewers should light it up. Overreacting corners of the Internet will likely scream, "IS MALIK WILLIS REALLY THE STARTER!?"
Only half-kidding about that. You're picking up what I'm putting down, though.
No, but really, it's like this for Ewers: The Dolphins have committed to a three-year contract with Willis. They're either rolling with him for the foreseeable future or leveraging a probable high draft pick in 2027 to select their QB of the future.
Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan is keen to draft a quarterback every year, or at least every other year. With 13 picks in the 2026 draft, Sullivan didn't select a single one.
Translation: The writing is on the wall. Ewers isn't for long in Miami, unless Willis suffers an injury and it's a Drew Bledsoe-Tom Brady Lite scenario. The preseason is Ewers' best chance to put some quality film out there in case any teams lose a QB or two to injury, or perhaps want to take a crack at him as a developmental prospect to groom into a starter.
Read the latter part of that last sentence. Does that not sound exactly like what happened to Willis once he was traded for a bag of chips from Tennessee to Green Bay?
So yeah. Quinn Ewers has a lot to gain and could make a major statement on the road in Week 1 of the preseason.
Josh Uche's high ceiling of yesteryear creates intrigue on the edge
Josh Uche had 11.5 sacks for the Patriots back in 2022. In retrospect, that may go down as one of the most random double-digit sack seasons in the history of pro football.
The Dolphins drafted Trey Moore this year to play on the edge in a sort of hybrid linebacker role. Free-agent acquisition David Ojabo should be in line for significant snaps there. Chop Robinson is one of the clear starters, and the recently signed Clelin Ferrell will be a prominent part of the
With Ferrell currently sidelined due to injury, Moore still finding his sea legs, and Ojabo having a rather quiet camp, Friday's showdown against the Commanders is Uche's chance to lock down a starting spot. Put it this way, I don't see Ojabo beating Patrick Paul at all, as Uche did here:
Paul vs Uche 👀👀 pic.twitter.com/eOJICmVmf8
— TonyH (@TonyH305) August 8, 2026
One misconception that Uche cleared up, which makes the prospect of him starting a lot less scary: He actually weighs 255 pounds, as opposed to his widely listed weight of 226 pounds.
Uche clarified this back in early June. He's still listed at 226 on ESPN.com and everywhere else I can see. If he is closer to that lower mark, Uche would get yeeted off the screen/into the sideline Gatorade more often than not.
In all seriousness, it should be fascinating to see if Uche can provide a spark to a largely unproven Miami pass rush that needs Robinson to be superstar-adjacent to have much juice this year.
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