For the last four-plus years, there has been nothing special about the Miami Dolphins special teams. That could change in 2025.
Miami has a new special teams coordinator in Craig Aukerman, and they recently reunited him with his former Pro Bowl punter, Ryan Stonehouse. The move signing should have come with a corresponding release, but it did not.
The fact Jake Bailey is still on the roster, despite saving the Dolphins almost $2 million in cap space if released, speaks volumes about what the plan is this year with the punter job. Clearly, Bailey and Stonehouse will compete for the job.
It really shouldn't be that difficult. The tape on Bailey over the last few years says a lot about his inconsistent punting. At this point in someone's career, mistakes in kicking a ball shouldn't be happening.
We have said before that Bailey's presence on the roster is because he is the holder for kicker Jason Sanders on field goal attempts. Sanders had a very good season in 2025 and the Dolphins may be reluctant to just hand over the job to someone new without seeing how well he can do the one job Bailey seems to be able to do consistently well.
Miami Dolphins could save cap space by cutting punter Jake Bailey
With Auckerman now on board, he has to be able to have at least one person on the roster that he can trust, and Stonehouse is likely that guy.
The Dolphins are not going to replace Sanders, as he has been kicking well for the last two years. Releasing Sanders would save an additional $3.3 million but Miami needs to keep him around for another year at least.
When Stonehouse was signed, Dolphins fans were clearly excited about the team moving on from Bailey. But at the same time, it was rather odd getting excited over such a small move. It's a testament to just how un-exciting this offseason has been thus far for Miami.