It's no secret that wide receiver is one of the weakest position groups for 2026 when it comes to the Miami Dolphins. And for a team projected to win just 4.5 games, that's saying something.
In truth, there are a number of wide receivers remaining in free agency who could come in and instantly be Miami's WR1 for the upcoming season. Thus, it should come as no surprise that the Dolphins recently reached out to one to express their interest.
Stefon Diggs is a player that the Miami organization has gotten to know quite well over the years, with the former All-Pro WR spending a good portion of his career within the AFC East as a member of the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots. With the Dolphins having a need at the position and Diggs still unsigned as of the start of training camps, it makes sense that Miami would reach out. However, it makes even more sense that Diggs would sign elsewhere.
Dolphins' reported Stefon Diggs proves they're after a WR
Through the first week of training camp, Malik Washington has evidently been the go-to guy for quarterback Malik Willis. And while kudos can be directed toward the three-year veteran, that's not a great sign for Miami's WR room, if we're being honest. So while the Dolphins' current wide receivers will continue to receive reps to showcase their talents, I still don't believe general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and company are done adding to the group.
That belief evidently holds some water, as ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter recently confirmed that the Dolphins were one of the teams that "weighed in" on Diggs prior to him signing with the Washington Commanders on Wednesday.
"...The Chiefs weighed in, the Dolphins weighed in, the Raiders weighed in. But the fact of the matter is, the Commanders were a team that had a need, had an opening, and they've been able to get together with Stefon Diggs to carve out a one-year deal that will bring him to Washington to complement Terry McLaurin and make him the newest target for Jayden Daniels," said Schefter.
The Dolphins weighing in was the beginning and ending of Schefter's mentioning of Miami being interested, so it remains unknown if talks got anywhere or if Diggs had any interest at any moment in coming to South Florida. Yet, with Diggs' one-year deal with Washington being worth up to $12 million, it's very possible that the talks were simply Sullivan picking up the phone and giving Diggs' agent a call.
When the asking price was revealed, I'd imagine Sullivan said something along the lines of, 'Have a nice day.' Who could blame him, though, for trying?
Outside of Willis, up to this point, Sullivan has handed out one-year minimum-level deals to all of the Dolphins' free agents this offseason. I'm sure he would have been willing to dole out a bit more for a player of Diggs' caliber, but with the Dolphins already paying more in dead money than several MLB rosters, $12 million is far too steep.
From Diggs' perspective, he likely wanted to get paid and go somewhere where he had a chance to win. He reached the Super Bowl last season with New England and came close a couple of times in postseason runs with Buffalo and the Minnesota Vikings, but he's yet to reach the success of winning the big one. Washington struggled last season, but they were in the NFC Championship Game the year before and look set to bounce back again as a contender.
Of the teams Schefter mentioned, only the Commanders and Chiefs gave Diggs a legitimate shot at winning. However, one cannot blame Sullivan for at least inquiring what it would take to get a Pro Bowl receiver to South Florida. Even if he had succeeded, though, Diggs' presence would not have moved the needle much in Miami's favor.
The Dolphins need a veteran receiver to help Malik Willis
Truthfully, there are no available wide receivers who would move the needle much for the Dolphins, but it's still important to have a veteran presence who can help the younger guys in their development. Even more importantly, Miami needs someone whom Willis can throw to.
The Malik-to-Malik connection might be fun in training camp, but it's not going to help the Dolphins know what they truly have in Willis if he doesn't have receivers to throw to for a full season. And by draft time, Miami needs to know if he can be their franchise guy or not, or if they should be selecting a quarterback from an expected stacked 2027 NFL Draft class.
It's a new regime from top to bottom for the first time in forever, and that's a good thing. However, one particular mistake this one cannot make that ones in the past made repeatedly is not knowing what you have at the QB position until it's too late.
For years, the Dolphins went back and forth with guys like Tua Tagovailoa and Ryan Tannehill before him on whether or not they were franchise players, only to find out too late that they weren't. That is not a mistake Miami wants to make with Willis, but if he doesn't have receivers to throw to, it will be a continuous talking point.
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