The Miami Dolphins continue to wait for news on Anthony Weaver's HC future, but they may have already tapped their next defensive coordinator, and it could mean a return for one fan favorite.
Sean Duggans coached the Green Bay Packers' linebackers in 2025. He was a defensive assistant in 2024 after spending time at Boston College working under Jeff Hafley. The Dolphins also recently hired Packers' secondary coach Ryan Downard.
Downard had been with the Packers since 2018, and he worked with Rasul Douglas while he was in Green Bay. Last year, Douglas was one of the few bright spots on an otherwise inconsistent defense.
#Dolphins hiring #Packers defensive backs coach Ryan Downard, per a league source @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/KWgIs7iMCK
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) January 26, 2026
Rasul Douglas' return to the Miami Dolphins takes an upward swing with Ryan Downard hire
Douglas has been a journeyman cornerback most of his NFL career. In 2017, he was drafted by the Eagles, then played for the Panthers, Raiders, Texans, Cardinals, Packers, and Bills before joining the Dolphins days before the start of the 2025 regular season.
It has been a foregone conclusion that Douglas would once again hit free agency, but the Packers coaches are taking over Miami, and that has made Douglas' return much more likely now.
The Dolphins' defense, like the rest of the roster, will undergo significant change this offseason. Continuity is out the window as a new system and scheme is implemented, but getting a starting corner back on the roster, who knows what the Dolphins ran last year, and what the Packers ran in the past, is smart football.
Douglas was by far the best cornerback on the roster last year. Chris Grier attempted several times to get him on the roster once training camp had started, but Douglas didn't want to make that commitment to Miami. As his options dropped, the Dolphins' job became one of the few options he had.
His play last season will get him looks around the league, probably more money as well. The Dolphins will be cap-strapped early, but a return looks better now with some familiarity. Downard has spoken highly of Douglas in the past.
Downard took over as the Packers' secondary coach in the final year Douglas was in Green Bay, but the former Packers' coach was there the previous year and knows what Douglas brings to the table.