What Should the Expectations Be for the 2026 Miami Dolphins?
After an offseason full of changes, both in the front office and on the field, expectations for the Miami Dolphins across the NFL are not optimistic. ESPN has the Dolphins ranked as the worst roster heading into the 2026 season, and most betting entities have Miami tied for the lowest win total alongside the Arizona Cardinals at four-and-a-half wins. With the Dolphins' perceived lack of success looming across media and fan outlets, what should fans expect heading into the 2026 season? Let’s take a look and see why this season could lead to more optimism in the future for the Fins.
After taking a look at the situation that first-year head coach Jeff Hafley inherited this offseason, it’s understandable why everyone under the sun is penciling in the Dolphins' name next to the first overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. Alongside a deconstructed roster with very little talent on both sides of the ball, the Dolphins are set to face the second-hardest schedule in the NFL this season, just behind the Cardinals, with an average opponent win percentage of .542 in 2025. It’s really hard to imagine Miami winning any more than seven games at the most this season, and that’s assuming Malik Willis can wildly over-perform expectations with an otherwise lackluster supporting cast, and the Hafley-led defense can summon the success that the Green Bay Packers have had over the past few seasons with back-to-back top 12 scoring defenses. At their worst, however, the Dolphins could find themselves on both extremes of history, becoming the only franchise in NFL history to go undefeated and winless.
That being said, the expectation for this team should not be based on wins and losses, but rather on how certain position groups and rookies fare throughout the 2026 season, with one of the biggest being in the quarterback room with Willis and company. A huge question among Dolphins’ fans and those who cover the team is who could Miami take in the first round of next year’s draft; could it be Texas QB Arch Manning, Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith, or another player set to channel a top-three selection? Willis has the opportunity to make the decision a lot easier if he can show the ability to make the guys around him better and give enough reason to not invest in a rookie quarterback like the Dolphins have done so many times throughout their history since Dan Marino’s retirement. On the flipside, if the worst were to happen this upcoming season, it would all but mark the end of the Willis era in Miami.
