Miami Dolphins fell in love with Ryan Fitzpatrick, despite the fact that he cost the team a chance at Joe Burrow. His NFL career was 17 years long and included nine teams. He was a journeyman backup, and he believes the Dolphins are destined for failure in 2026.
The former Dolphins QB predicted on the Fitz and Whit podcast that Miami could become the first team to lose 17 games in a season if they don't beat the Raiders on Sunday.
Fitz thinks there's a possibility the Dolphins become the first team to ever go 0-17 👀
— Fitz & Whit (@fitzandwhit) September 10, 2026
"I don't see a whole lot of wins in there... look at the way that their roster is constructed this year, you feel bad for them" pic.twitter.com/qCcyAahqvu
It's a brutal prediction that is easy to justify, but I think beating the Raiders in Week 1 isn't the only chance Miami will have at a win in 2026.
Miami Dolphins face a critical opening road game that could have historical consequences
There have been a few teams that have not won a game in a full season of play. The last team to do so was the 2017 Cleveland Browns, who finished 0-16, and that's where history comes in. The NFL didn't play a 17-game schedule then. They do now.
Miami has the second-toughest strength of schedule this year, and there are only a handful of games they could have a chance of winning, or at least be predicted to win. They play the Jets twice and, of course, the Raiders on Sunday. The rest of the schedule isn't going to be easy.
That is not to say that losing to the Raiders will guarantee Miami's 0-17 finish. It would just be the weight off their shoulders that they need. Notching a win early relieves some of the pressure of not going winless.
Not lost on fans is the irony of it all. Could the Dolphins be the only team to win all 17 games, including the Super Bowl, and lose all 17 games of a regular season? Fans know it's possible, but no one wants to talk about it. The Dolphins won't talk about it at all.
Jeff Hafley has the team believing in his system. They have shown more physicality than in years past. His camp practices were tough, but Miami left training camp with only a handful of injuries. On Sunday, every player on the 53-man roster is healthy enough to play. That hasn't happened in a long time.
The Raiders are one of 14 teams Miami will face this year. We have to believe that as the season progresses, they will get better. There is a lot of youth on this team, the youngest and probably the least experienced as a whole in the entire NFL.
Fitzpatrick believing that Miami could go winless isn't a surprise. He is not the only one if we look at the media outlets. It's up to the Dolphins to prove him and everyone else wrong, but fans don't care this year. The real victory for Miami is to get better, turn the franchise around, and build the team the right way. If that means finishing the season without a win, so be it. It's 2027 and 2028 that will define this regime as a success or a failure.
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