The 2025 Miami Dolphins season isn't going to be an easy one. No season in the NFL is but 2025 is going to be the type of season that shakes the Dolphins organization.
When Adam Gase was the head coach, you had all the signs of a departure. The Dolphins weren't winning, but more importantly, the offense wasn't progressing. There were reports of Gase not getting along with Stephen Ross and Chris Grier. Brian Flores' departure was a bit more unexpected, but his relationship with the team had deteriorated quickly.
That isn't the current issue in Miami, where Mike McDaniel and Grier get along well. McDaniel loves the team's quarterback, and despite a poor showing last year, the Dolphins have made the playoffs twice in three years. Yet, it all seems about to fall apart.
The Dolphins took a big chance at throwing a practical rebuild out the window when they started trading for guys like Bradley Chubb and Tyreek Hill. They fell back into the practice of drafting players with high ceilings but injury concerns, Jaelan Phillips. Then Grier did what Grier does: He let his best players leave in free agency and replaced them with cheaper options.
The business model hasn't won the Dolphins a playoff game, and now the roster is a mess, and the cap is barely workable. 2025 was supposed to be the Dolphins' big run as they challenged for the AFC Championship game, maybe even a Super Bowl spot. Instead, 2025 is turning out to be one that may cost everyone their jobs.
From a lack of proven leadership on the field and off, to a roster full of holes, the 2025 Dolphins are in a precarious position.
Miami Dolphins have to find a way to win with a roster that isn't built to win
Too many questions at key positions have left Dolphins fans wondering if this is a year they fall apart completely or pull together. The offensive line has only marginally improved, but losing Terron Armstead could be a setback. Defensively, the Dolphins are relying on players returning and staying healthy but they also will rely on rookies to fill key holes across the roster.
The Dolphins are not a better football team than they were last year. They lack several starters, and they lack a lot of depth across the entire roster. Miami is hoping Grier can pull off another "Miami Miracle" with the draft and land a starting safety, corner, defensive tackle, and guard while still landing good players to supplement the depth on the team.
No one expects him to pull it off because he hasn't hit a home run draft since he became the general manager. Consider the last time Miami had 10 draft picks to work with, 2020; only two players remain, Tua Tagovailoa and Austin Jackson, and maybe Blake Ferguson.