Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 27
Dolphins Launch Rebuild With Malik Willis' $67.5 Million Deal as Win Total Sits at 3.5
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 27

Dolphins Launch Rebuild With Malik Willis' $67.5 Million Deal as Win Total Sits at 3.5

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 27

Summary

  • Miami handed Malik Willis a three-year, $67.5 million contract and paired him with first-year coach Jeff Hafley, formalizing a full reset after a 7-10 season.
  • That overhaul followed a 2025 campaign in which Miami averaged 20.4 points per game, allowed more than 24, and faded from the AFC playoff race amid injuries and uneven quarterback protection.
  • The rebuild stripped out much of the old core: Tua Tagovailoa left for Atlanta, while Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb were cut and Jaylen Waddle and Minkah Fitzpatrick moved out.
  • De'Von Achane remains the offense's centerpiece after 1,350 rushing yards, but the roster around him is viewed as thin enough that Miami's season win total is just 3.5.
  • That leaves the Dolphins entering 2026 as one of the NFL's clearest reboot projects, with expectations centered more on laying a foundation than contending immediately.

Insights

Will Malik Willis prove doubters wrong, or is he merely a $67.5 million placeholder in Miami's brutal cap-driven teardown?
Can Jeff Hafley's aggressive defensive schemes mask a depleted roster, or are the Dolphins destined to be 2026's worst team?
Can De'Von Achane survive a historic 40-touch workload, or will Miami's desperate offensive strategy break their only remaining star?