I know the headline of this article will get some Miami Dolphins fans all up in their feelings, but at least hear me out before you flip out. Although, I fully expect the typical “we haven’t even played a game yet” or “let the draft happen first” trolls to come after me.
I am 47 years old and have been following/covering the Miami Dolphins for many years. Right now, I feel like I am at a low point as a fan.
I know things have been bad for the most part for the last 25 years, but right now, in April 2025, this is pretty bad.
The Dolphins aren’t in a full-fledged rebuild (if anything, they are in a soft rebuild but won’t admit it).
The Dolphins clearly aren’t contenders in a loaded AFC, let alone their division, where they are light-years behind the Buffalo Bills. Not to mention, they may have been passed (and by may have, have been) by an up-start Patriots team this offseason.
The head coach and general manager are on the hot seat.
The Bank of Ross has been closed, and this past free agency period, Miami spent little to no money to actually improve the team. And if you are being honest (and not looking to put a positive spin on everything), this roster on paper in 2025 is worse than it was in 2024. (And no matter who they pick in the NFL Draft won’t change that, and there are no free agents left to sign that will improve things.)
To me, the Miami Dolphins are a boat taking on water, but nobody is running for a life preserver or a life raft, and everyone is content to go down with the ship.
It’s odd to see, honestly. And why it’s odd is because this is a league where NFL organizations are either “Selling Winning” or “Selling Hope.”
You’re selling your fan base that we are close and think we can win a Super Bowl now, or you are selling your fan base that we are a little bit away, but we think we are making moves that will get us a Super Bowl in a year or two, so be hopeful.
Miami is selling nothing.
They are selling the status quo.
And the status quo stinks.
I know Stephen Ross said after last season that the status quo isn’t good enough. Well, apparently, it is because this off-season, this organization has done nothing to change the status quo.
Including bringing back the poster boy for failure these past few seasons in Liam Eichenberg.
I know Ross and Grier love love LOVE to run to the injury excuse as to why last season didn’t work out. (And by last season, you can use the injury excuse after every season for the past 5 years)
The problem with that is your starting quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, is always injured.
Austin Jackson is injured and misses more games than Tua does.
Bradley Chubb has a long injury history.
Jaelan Phillips is now coming off two major injuries in the past year.
So, to think these injury-prone guys will magically not be injured all at once in the same season is literally being naive beyond belief or just putting your head in the sand.
Look at this offseason as proof of how bad things have gotten in South Florida. Starters and key players like Jevon Holland and Calais Campbell are gone with no real replacements in place to fill their roles. No different than letting Robert Hunt and Christian Wilkins walk last offseason and doing nothing to replace them.
In March, Miami signed a bunch of borderline NFL players to 1-year deals for low money.
And if you don’t agree with me that these are borderline NFL players, you were probably the same people who last year thought Miami signing six players to one-year deals to replace Christian Wilkins was a “genius plan,” only to be crushed when five of the six were cut before or during training camp.
Miami didn’t try this free agency period. Their big signing was James Daniels, who is injured and coming off an Achilles injury.
Not that anyone would have wanted to come here anyway; the handwriting is on the wall in South Florida, and everyone knows it.
Miami is the place where careers go to die.
The head coach has no control over the team, the offense has become stagnant, and you don’t go to Miami if you want to win.
The head coach comes off as immature and in over his head.
The quarterback cannot be counted on week to week to suit up and play and he does nothing to protect himself to avoid injuries, in fact his play has become more reckless over time to where he is bringing the injuries on himself at this point.
Tyreek Hill is a total jackass whose antics off the field are making headlines constantly and are a distraction.
So, what is Miami’s mission statement for 2025?
They aren’t close to being a winning franchise, and they aren’t rebuilding.
It feels like we are just going through the motions.
Of course, there will be a lot of BAD FAITH ACTORS out there in the traditional media, podcasters, bloggers, and fans on social media who will try to put a positive spin on everything. Will try to keep you engaged, and they will sell you hope because they want your clicks, or they want you to keep reading them and being engaged with them because that is good for their business.
But the reality is that this Dolphins team looks to be bad. Not Hating, Just Stating!
And the outlook for this season and beyond is really bleak.
The ship is going down, and the band is still playing like everything is normal, while if you look at things objectively, nothing is normal with how the Dolphins are handling things heading into the 2025 season.
So, I guess I don’t know if I am feeling at a low point as a fan or if this is what it feels like being a fan of a team whose owner just doesn’t care anymore.