When players on an NFL team hold a "players only" meeting at any point in the season, it is typically not a good thing. That is precisely what the Miami Dolphins players did after losing in Week 1.
Tua Tagovailoa spoke about holding a team meeting earlier in the week, and on Thursday, Jordyn Brooks answered questions about it in the locker room. This is after one game to start the season. If it isn't clear already, the Dolphins are on the verge of a potential collapse that even they are beginning to realize.
The #Dolphins held a players only meeting following the Colts loss. Allow Jordyn Brooks to explain why that was necessary, and what was the goal. pic.twitter.com/vb4mFJ5zHP
— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) September 11, 2025
Miami Dolphins players desperately trying to hold team together after embarrassing Week 1 loss
It's not easy being a Dolphins fan these days, and it gets tough to stay positive when there are so many more negatives staring at you from center stage. Miami has a lot of talent on its roster, but for whatever reason, they are not winning with it. Not consistently at least.
The meeting the players held implies a much bigger problem than just a horrible game. It's Week 1 and half of the league is 0-1. The fact that they felt the need to come together for a "hold it together" session hints at problems fans are not seeing from the outside.
Brooks talked about being "together" and "that the belief is still there." Brooks is a good leader on the team, but if they are talking about holding on to beliefs and staying on the same page after one week of football, what is going on?
Unfortunately, this starts with the coaching staff and more specifically with Mike McDaniel. His approach to coaching has always been to let the players hold themselves accountable for their play on the field, but it hasn't been met with the type of on-field production that one would hope.
McDaniel doesn't yell at the players, but has admitted to getting upset and angry at times. At some point, his approach needs to change.
No one sees McDaniel as the young genius they saw in the first two years, and after last season, fans are not buying into his sideways speaking. Are the players done as well?
Miami has to get it together this week, as it seems the wheels are already starting to wobble, and if they fall off this early in the season, they will be looking at a top-five draft pick next April. Miami needs its leaders now, and that includes Tagovailoa more than any of them.
What happens on Sunday against the Patriots will be season-defining. We are all complaining about the mess we saw against the Colts, and apparently, the players are feeling it as well. They saw enough in the mirror to know they had to make changes, but nobody imagined it would need to be done after Week 1.