The Miami Dolphins are not an easy team to be a fan of; that is a statement many fans contend with around the country with their own teams. It's not going to get easier.
There are a lot of questions waiting to be answered with this team. 2025 is presumed to be a critical one for general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel, but that assumption may not be realistic. Given the problems with this franchise and the direction they are heading, owner Stephen Ross may not be inclined to part ways with either of them.
That is a hard truth we all must come to terms with because if Miami fails to make the playoffs and plays like they did last year, we will all be screaming for a change that might not come.
It isn't something lost in the media either. On a recent episode of "The MMQB NFL Podcast", Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer and Connor Orr examined the Dolphins and stated it quite plainly: "The Dolphins are the NFL's most puzzling team."
See, it's not just us.
In an attempt to figure out who the Dolphins are, they inevitably began talking about who they are trending to be, and it wasn't good. Breer asked a simple question of Orr, "If you were the Dolphins and someone offered you a first for Tyreek Hill, would you take it?" Orr, like all of us, said "Yes."
That is the status of the team. This is not a team hellbent on winning at all costs. They are going through the motions to stay as competitive as they can. They both consider the Dolphins going through a "reset," which is close to being another rebuild.
The Dolphins have been resetting and rebuilding for 20 years and have yet to find an identity. Being fast isn't an identity, it's just being fast.
Both Orr and Breer believe that McDaniel is a great play caller, but they know things could go south pretty quickly, and they are not convinced that Grier is the right one for the team.
NFL insider believes the Miami Dolphins could be looking for an out with Tua Tagovailoa
Breer also discussed the future of Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and he isn't convinced the Dolphins see him in their long-term future.
He cites the fact Miami opted to bring in Zach Wilson to serve as a backup when the better option might have been a Case Keenum type, someone who is going to help Tagovailoa's growth as opposed to a young quarterback looking to prove he can win in the NFL.
It makes some sense. Grier has the opportunity to shift money around this offseason to create nearly $19 million in extra spending money by restructuring Tagovailoa's contract.
The Dolphins chose not to do that despite needing cap relief. It left a lot of fans and media scratching their heads and questioning his future as the team's franchise quarterback.