The Miami Dolphins are already starting to look a lot like the Green Bay Packers. Miami fans should be thrilled. The Packers have a long-standing tradition of success; the Dolphins have not. Miami once tried to emulate the Patriots' success by hiring Brian Flores, but other teams have failed as well.
Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan make up the big name drops that tie to Green Bay, but this offseason has already proven to be a Dolphins tie-in to their former club. Sullivan has banked on his own knowledge of free agents as he transitions away from decades-long mediocrity. Sullivan is untangling the web that Chris Grier established.
Many of the Dolphins' free agent additions have a Packers connection, and when the 2026 season rolls around, they will have a shot to prove to their previous team that they made a mistake.
Miami Dolphins players with a direct connection to the Green Bay Packers
Sullivan wasted no time getting his team to look like a minor league platform for his former team. Sullivan dipped into what he knew and what he saw. It's smart and calculated. The Dolphins will travel to Green Bay in 2026, allowing these players to prove their former team wrong.
Malik Willis
Willis can't hate on the Packers for being a free agent. He should love them for the opportunity to make more money than he could have imagined after his short, failed stint with the Titans. Willis's small amount of successful starts led him to the Dolphins. He will get a chance to prove to the Packers that he is capable of winning at this level, but he was never going to unseat Jordan Love.
Zayne Anderson
The new addition to the Dolphins' safety room has a long way to go before he makes the roster, let alone starts. Anderson has been with the Packers for the last three seasons after spending his first two in the NFL with the Chiefs. Anderson knows what a winning formula looks like. During his time with the Packers, he started just two games. In Miami, he will see a lot more on-field action, but special teams may be his bread and butter.
Ben Sims
The latest tight end addition didn't come directly from Green Bay; he came from the Vikings. He joined the Vikings after being on the Packers roster. Sims is more of a blocking tight end, think Durham Smythe and Anthony Fasano. Sims is solid on the edge and capable of catching passes. He is a complement to the unit, not a focus.