The Phinsider
Now that the Miami Dolphins’ disastrous 2025 campaign has finally concluded, it’s time for a wellness check for this franchise’s fanbase.
How are we feeling at the beginning of the offseason for Miami?
What are your feelings on keeping Mike McDaniel as the team’s head coach for another season? Would you be interested in firing him in order to get a formal interview with former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh scheduled? If Miami let go of McDaniel, but didn’t land Harbaugh, what would your backup plan be if you were general manager? Speaking of… who is going to be the team’s next general manager?
There are a lot of moving pieces the Dolphins need to get situated before we can fully turn our attention to the 2026 NFL Draft and subsequent free-agency period, which means there isn’t a shortage of excitement surrounding this organization. Buckle up!
This week’s Fins Up personality is… well, it’s us, the fans! We deserve some recognition for sitting through a mostly miserable year, yet never letting our fandom waiver. We’ve been through plenty of tough times as Dolphins fans, so I believe we’ve been calloused enough to handle whatever adversity comes our way. After all, as McDaniel always says, “Adversity is opportunity!”
Here’s hoping that we never have to hear that saying again…
Yes, this season took us on a rollercoaster-ride of emotions, but here we are, on the other side, ready to be hurt again! One of these years, the team will get it right and reward us for our undying devotion. 2026 isn’t looking too good, but if the team can somehow pull off a miracle this offseason (Malik Willis? John Harbaugh? A competent GM?), we will still find some room in our black hearts for some optimism.
This week’s Fins Down personality is quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The former number five overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft lost his starting job to 7th round rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers for the team’s final three games this season, and was asked about the possibility of getting a “fresh start” elsewhere next season.
Instead of responding diplomatically, as we’ve come to expect from franchise quarterbacks, Tagovailoa simply said, “That would be dope.”
I fully get why the 27-year-old would want to leave the Dolphins if he was not given the opportunity to compete for a starting job next year — but that doesn’t seem to be the case, at least if McDaniel remains the head coach. Yes, plenty of rumors are swirling about Miami wanting to move on from the former Alabama quarterback this offseason, but at this stage, that’s all they are… rumors.
McDaniel even said himself that he believes there are two quarterbacks currently on the roster who could compete to start in 2026 — presumably Tagovailoa and Ewers. However, it sounds like Miami’s left-handed passer would like to leave South Florida in the rearview mirror.
We’ll see how things play out as the offseason unfolds,...
