The Miami Dolphins are tracking to be one of the very worst teams in the NFL during the 2026 season. New head coach Jeff Hafley is coming over from Green Bay and will be tasked with breaking in 13 rookies from the Fins' 2026 draft class, not to mention a largely unproven starting quarterback in Malik Willis.
Although Willis flashed some upper-echelon starter traits when he got his chances with the Packers beginning in 2024, his likeliest No. 1 wide receiver candidate is Jalen Tolbert. No offense to him, but it speaks to how hamstrung GM Jon-Eric Sullivan was in building this roster for the new season.
With the NFL schedule release looming, we do know that the Dolphins won't play an international game. However, their road ahead is still absolutely brutal.
Miami Dolphins will travel 6th-most miles during 2026 season despite no international game
Bill Speros of Bookies.com released a finalized list of travel mileage for all 32 teams once the NFL's international slate of games was revealed. While the Dolphins got a break by not having to play overseas, they'll still rack up a whopping 27,568 travel miles this coming season.
All sorts of perceived contenders who should be able to handle the rigors and logistics of such frequent mobility crack the top 10:
- San Francisco 49ers — 38,105 miles
- Los Angeles Rams — 34,847 miles
- Houston Texans — 28,470 miles
- Dallas Cowboys — 27,980 miles
- New England Patriots — 27,590 miles
- Miami Dolphins — 27,568 miles
- Los Angeles Chargers — 24,816 miles
- Jacksonville Jaguars — 23,392 miles
- Philadelphia Eagles — 22,115 miles
- Seattle Seahawks — 22,056 miles
Tough scene. Eight of those 10 teams made the playoffs last season, and the Cowboys have the high-powered offense and the upgrades on defense to be a viable postseason team in 2026.
And then we have the Dolphins. Woof. Hafley really has his work cut out for him. Trying to wrangle and unify such an inexperienced group of players won't be easy with all the travel.
Another factor here that shouldn't be taboo, nor go unmentioned: Miami is notorious for nightlife and distractions. You don't think a lot of these players are gonna want to blow off some steam during the season when they are home, especially if the losses keep piling up as expected?
What a climate for Hafley to try to establish a winning culture and get players to buy in. These are the types of circumstances that can cause a locker room to divide in a hurry.
This seriously has full-blown disaster written all over it. Granted, the mere trip from Florida to the rest of the AFC East teams is liable to rack up the travel mileage anyway, since the Bills, Patriots, and Jets are all located in the Northeast USA. But still, did the schedule makers need to be this cruel to Miami's new regime? It'd almost be laughable if it weren't so unfair!
The longest road trip for the Fins is a 5,109-mile odyssey out to Santa Clara, California, to face the San Francisco 49ers. They also have to play the Raiders in Vegas and the Broncos in Denver. Those journeys are 4,341 miles and 3,432 miles, respectively.
Miami's NFC North road trips are no bargain, either, as the Minnesota Vikings are 2,999 miles away, and the Green Bay Packers will require a 2,707-mile trek.
Again, it was already going to take a miracle for the Dolphins to field something resembling a competitive NFL team this year. Their schedule makes that noble objective borderline impossible.
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