Surprise! The Miami Dolphins are going nowhere in 2026. The fan base isn't too concerned, as they have embraced the latest "rebuild year." Not that they were given much of a choice.
Seasons like this are tricky for any team, but they can also lead to trade deadline decisions that rip at the fabric of a fan's soul. This year may not be any different.
According to Jason La Canfora, there are two Dolphins players to keep an eye on: one of them is Zach Sieler, and the other is Austin Jackson. Fans won't care too much about the latter, but Sieler should be off limits.
Miami Dolphins will certainly consider making a deadline trade if they can
In 2025, the Dolphins made one move at the deadline. Trading Jaelan Phillips to the Eagles made sense for the team and the player. Another trade didn't happen, but it should have. Interim GM Champ Kelly opted to not move Bradley Chubb despite having at least one offer. If the Dolphins receive calls about Sieler, it would be shocking if GM Jon-Eric Sullivan didn't listen.
Sieler is 31 years old. In three years, he will have started to see his performance decline, and there are no guarantees that the Dolphins will be contending for a playoff spot. Sieler loves Miami, but he is spinning his wheels.
Jeff Hafley recently raved about Sieler's dedication and control of the defensive line as a leader. That would seem to indicate the Dolphins' desire to keep him around, but one good offer would make him expendable.
If we are to read the tea leaves, could there already be an internal discussion going on? Miami continues to work out defensive linemen, specifically tackles. Why? Jordan Phillips has been better than expected, Zeek Biggers is providing versatility, Sieler is a headliner, and Kenneth Grant returns to practice this week. It doesn't make sense to add DT help when there are other needs across the roster.
Miami hasn't added anyone yet, but could this be a pre-trade situation to get an idea of who may be able to provide depth should Sieler, or even Grant, be traded? The Sieler situation is worth keeping an eye on.
Then there is Austin Jackson. Frankly, we can't understand why Jackson's name would pop up on any list of tradeable players. It would be shocking if another team were willing to give up even a late-round pick for him.
La Canfora describes Jackson as being "Young, affordable, and having extensive starting experience." La Canfora said. "His team-friendly reworked contract makes him easy to move, and he is an impending unrestricted free agent on a rebuilding Miami roster."
What La Canfora is missing, however, is that Jackson isn't playing well at all. He comes with a long injury history and has been rated one of the worst tackles in 2026. Executives around the league know this too.
If Sullivan was able to get draft pick compensation by trading Jackson, the guy is a genius. Do it now. The Dolphins can afford to let him go. His level of play is bad enough that Caedan Wallace couldn't do much worse.
Of the two, I expect to hear Sieler's name mentioned quite a bit over the next four weeks. I would hate to see him leave, but I also believe he deserves to change a championship at this stage of his career. For the Dolphins, his presence helps build a certain level of culture, but on a handful of other teams, he is a missing piece for a Super Bowl run.
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