The Miami Dolphins finished 2025 with a 7-10 record, but that record belies how tough this year was to watch. The Dolphins started out so poorly that Chris Grier was fired, then they picked things up in the middle of the year before floundering down the stretch.
Be it Mike McDaniel back for yet another crack at trying to turn this team into a winner or someone else who could come in and clean up the mess that Grier and McDaniel left, 2026 may be a vastly different season for a Dolphins team that is going to undergo a major offseason facelift.
Dolphins fans had better hope that none of these five players bought property in South Beach. If Miami is serious about turning things around, it makes sense for the new GM to come in and immediately get rid of these five players with ties to the old way of doing things.
5 Miami Dolphins who won't be back in 2026
5. QB Zach Wilson
Miami's grand rehabilitation plan for the Jets bust and former No. 2 overall pick went so well that he didn't play any meaningful snaps and was passed over for Quinn Ewers when it became clear that Tua Tagovailoa's time was over. Wilson's NFL career may be drawing to a close.
4. CB Rasul Douglas
Douglas helped a terrible Dolphins secondary look competent for a brief period, but the veteran will likely try to use that performance on a one-year deal to cash in on a more competent team rather than running back with a Miami squad that is very clearly in flux.
3. OL Liam Eichenberg
Eichenberg has finally run out of road in Miami, as the much-maligned offensive lineman continues to put on performances that can be charitably described as very disheartening. Eichenberg will be kicked aside if Miami invests heavily in the line this offseason.
2. WR Tyreek Hill
Hill is getting older, and with a serious injury on the ledger, concerns about how the speedster's game will age are valid. Hill will get a haul of picks from a contender, while the Dolphins can build a new receiver room centered around Jaylen Waddle.
1. QB Tua Tagovailoa
It's just time. Between Tagovailoa's regression on the field, concerns about his ability to both stay healthy and play in cold weather, and a new regime possibly coming in, handicapping the coaching staff with Tua's albatross contract is one way to ensure continued mediocrity.