Cover photo taken from FOX.
Welcome to 32 Teams in 32 Days, a daily series leading up to kickoff of the 2025 NFL season where I preview every team in the league as decided by a wheel spin and project what their season will look like. You can keep up with everything right here.
We remain in the AFC East and head on down to southern Florida where the Miami Dolphins sit as one of the more polarizing teams in the league in terms of how this season could go. The ceiling is a return to 2023 form, while the floor is as low as a complete overhaul of the roster and/or coaching staff.
A year removed from being a proper Super Bowl contender, Miami was an up and down mess in 2024, starting 2-6 thanks to countless injuries — including another scary concussion for QB Tua Tagovailoa — en route to an underwhelming 8-9 finish. Considering how many resources have been poured into this window, that’s not going to fly. Now, the Dolphins are in a position where another subpar season could lead to plenty of changes to a core they once thought could bring them great success.
Things were messy for a once high-flying offense as the Dolphins finished 22nd in EPA/play, including 31st in rush EPA/play. The offensive line was a disaster, clocking in at 28th in pass block win rate and 26th in run block win rate — can’t blame Tua for that, can you? Tagovailoa was actually pretty solid, going 6-5 in his starts while ranking 7th in EPA/play and EPA+CPOE, despite having the lowest ADOT in the league. I will always contend that Tua is one of the more needlessly overhated players in the league; I understand that a lot of what he does seems simple, but not anyone can be as decisive and accurate as he is, even in that system. He deserves some respect for being elite at what he does. I just wish he was able to stay on the field more consistently.
There just wasn’t much that stood out on that side of the ball. Tyreek Hill had a quiet year with 81 catches, less than 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns. Jaylen Waddle caught just two scores. Jonnu Smith emerged as Tua’s go-to weapon, catching a whopping 88 balls and eight touchdowns, but he got shipped off to Pittsburgh, so Hill and Waddle figure to bounce back in ’25. De’Von Achane had another productive season behind a bad line, rushing for 907 yards and five touchdowns while hauling in 78 passes for 592 yards and six more scores. For reasons I can’t really explain, Miami traded for Darren Waller after he decided to come out of retirement, which feels like one of those stories we forget about when he re-retires after six weeks.
In a shocking turn of events, the defense was actually better than the offense, ranking in the top 10 in EPA/play. They didn’t play many offenses worth a damn, so that plays a role. Losing Jevon Holland hurts the secondary, but Miami has completely remade that unit, trading Jalen Ramsey to Pittsburgh to bring Minkah Fitzpatrick back in addition to signing Mike Hilton, Ifeatu Melifonwu and Kendall Sheffield. There’s still plenty of talent up front as well with the likes of Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb and Jordyn Brooks, and first-round DT Kenneth Grant figures to bolster the interior.
The talent is still in Miami. So, what gives? Well, coaching still might be a weakness. I think Mike McDaniel is definitely an elite offensive innovator, but the ending to 2023 and most of last year proved that he might be in over his head on the big stage as a head coach. I like Anthony Weaver as DC, and last year’s defense proved that he’s going to be a good coordinator in this league. But, more than anything, I think it’s a matter of all the picks and money that has gone into building what’s supposed to be a contender resulting in… nothing. A couple of trips to the playoffs with no wins to show for it. It’s disappointment after disappointment. The next letdown from this regime could prove to be its last.
X-Factor: HC Mike McDaniel/QB Tua Tagovailoa
It’s make-or-break for this tandem. Tua needs to stay healthy for the whole season and deliver a season closer to what we saw in 2023, and McDaniel needs to prove that he can actually be an NFL head coach. If neither of those things happen, the Dolphins likely won’t hesitate to move off both of them. This is a franchise that’s starved and desperate to win, always looking to snap their NFL-leading playoff drought (hard to believe they’re the only team to not win a postseason game in my lifetime). Tua was paid handsomely and McDaniel has been given a long leash, but they’ll only so accept so much mediocrity. The good news for these two is that we’ve seen how successful they can be when they’re clicking. Yes, Hill, Waddle and Achane will each need to do their part as well, but the onus is on McDaniel and Tua to right this ship. Otherwise, they’ll be thrown overboard.
Team MVP: RB De’Von Achane
Achane has proven himself as one of the league’s most dynamic tailbacks with his quick twitch and ridiculous speed. An absolute weapon on the ground and through the air, he’s shown that as long as he’s able to stay on the field, he’s going to make a difference. I think that’ll continue in a big way this season. And, for reasons I’ll get into shortly, I think he’s going to be the offensive cornerstone that this franchise continues to invest in while some others get sidelined and/or shipped away.
Breakout Candidate: WR Malik Washington
This might be the first time in the series where you’ve read this and gone, “Who the heck is that?” And that’s fair — Washington was a sixth-round pick a year ago who didn’t see a ton of action. But now, he’s the clear WR3 and should see a lot more targets now that Jonnu Smith is out of the picture. He was a catch machine at Virginia, setting the ACC single-season record for receptions in 2023 with 110. He feels like a perfect fit in this offense with its quick hitters. Though speed and quickness are often prioritized with guys like Hill and Achane, Washington can provide a level of technique and sharpness that otherwise might be lacking. And, again, if my vision comes to fruition where the Dolphins blow it up — almost getting there, I promise! — then his role could become much bigger as the season winds down.
Record Prediction: 5-12
Okay, here we go. Of all the teams on the playoff bubble, the Dolphins are my candidate to have the disaster 2025 and blow it up. This schedule isn’t easy, but more than that, I just see things falling apart in Miami this season. That means no one is safe — Tua, McDaniel, Hill and maybe even Waddle could all be elsewhere this time next year.
So, here’s the sitch. I think the Dolphins will enter their Week 12 bye on a four-game losing streak, which will cause all the turmoil. McDaniel gone, Tyreek probably traded, and Tua on the market. I know what you’re thinking: how can they make those last two moves considering the financials? Well, Hill has an out after this season, counting for about $15.5 million in dead money. Tua has one in 2027, which has a whopping $34.8 million in dead cap. It’s not impossible that they both get shipped. I think Hill makes a lot more sense for an in-season trade, whereas Tua would get moved off in the winter. I’m sure there would be a number of suitors for him despite what you might think. Maybe the Colts, Browns or Jaguars come knocking.
With a record like this and a late-season plunge, the Dolphins would be squarely in position to draft a new QB of the future — think LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier or Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, if not Arch Manning if he decides to not return to Texas. I think that’s the direction they’d choose to go in. Build around a new QB with Achane and Waddle, find a new head coach who’s capable of getting results, and start over.
I’m wary of this prediction, because the last time I predicted something of this magnitude was with the Rams in 2023. They wound up making the playoffs that season. So, we’ll see you in January, Miami!
Next up: 
New York Jets
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