Miami Dolphins 2026 Overview

Schedule

Coming soon ...

Wins

Play Calling

Key Additions

• QB Malik Willis
• WR Jalen Tolbert
• WR Tutu Atwell
• WR Caleb Douglas
• WR Chris Bell
• TE Will Kacmarek
• LG Kadyn Proctor

Key Departures

• QB Tua Tagovailoa
• WR Tyreek Hill
• WR Jaylen Waddle

Notable Coaching Changes

• HC Mike McDaniel and OC Frank Smith out
• HC Jeff Hafley and OC Bobby Slowik in

Malik Willis

2025 Role & Results

Showing Promise on a Small Sample

Willis started one game for an injured Jordan Love last season and played most of another, finishing QB2 for the lone start against Baltimore.

Willis’ limited sample produced:

• 35 pass attempts
• 422 passing yards
• 3 passing TDs
• 0 INTs
• 22 rush attempts
• 123 rushing yards
• 2 rushing TDs

Unbeatable Efficiency

Willis was superb in a tiny sample. 

His efficiency rates were enormous: an 85.7% completion rate, 12.1 yards per attempt, and an 8.5% TD rate.

Willis added 5.6 yards per carry and a 9.0% TD rate on the ground.

Those numbers crush his limited sample in Tennessee from 2022-2023, which turned up a 53% completion rate, 5.3 yards per attempt, and 0 TDs. He at least averaged 31.6 rushing yards in three starts.

His age-25 and age-26 seasons in Green Bay show real growth after early struggles on two bad Titans offenses.

No Concern on the Injury Front

Willis entered his final start (Week 17) with a shoulder injury, which would force him out of that game in the fourth quarter. The shoulder then kept him out for Week 18. Miami’s clearly not concerned about it, though.

2026 Opportunity & Projection

Miami Makes a Short Term Commitment

The Dolphins signed Willis to a three-year deal with $45 million in guarantees and $67.5 million in max value, effectively committing to him for at least two seasons.

Willis is locked in as the QB1 for 2026, with Quinn Ewers set to back him up.

A Rough Supporting Cast

Here’s where things fall apart.

Miami moved on from Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, leaving a ragtag group to compete for snaps.

The main contenders:

• Jalen Tolbert
• Tutu Atwell
• Malik Washington
• Caleb Douglas
• Chris Bell

Tolbert spent four years in Dallas and earned the No. 2 WR role only once. Even then he managed just 49 catches for 610 yards and 7 TDs in 2024, with Dallas attempting the league’s third-most passes (637). Tolbert fell back to just 1.4 catches per game last season.

Atwell missed six games last year with a hamstring injury that he aggravated in Week 7. The Rams made him a healthy scratch for the postseason. When healthy, he caught only six passes.

Washington gives Miami a 5’8, 195-pound slot target, but he has managed just 7.5 yards per catch through 72 career receptions.

Then come the rookies. Douglas went in Round 3, earlier than most draft analysts expected. He brings size and speed at 6’3, 203 with a 4.39-second 40 time, but he’s not a strong separator and posted just a 44th-percentile dominator rating in college.

Douglas is fine as a developmental player, but Miami may need him in a real role, which is not ideal for Willis.

Bell, another Round 3 rookie, projects as the better pro. He’s a thicker target (6’2, 222) with explosive run-after-catch ability, but a November ACL tear will likely slow his start to the season.

Miami lacks an impact TE, too. Greg Dulcich was a fine pickup in 2025, but he managed just 26 catches, 335 yards, and 1 TD in 10 games. 

It looks like one of the worst pass-catching groups in recent history.

Miami’s O-line remained poor in 2025, finishing 28th in Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade and 24th in ESPN’s pass-block win rate metric. 

The left side looks promising for 2026, with mammoth Round 1 pick Kadyn Proctor sliding into the LG spot between LT Patrick Paul and C Aaron Brewer. But Miami needs to see a big Year 2 jump from RG Jonah Savaiinaea, while RT Austin Jackson has struggled to stay healthy in recent seasons.

New OC Wants to Lean Run

Willis will learn a new offense under new Dolphins OC Bobby Slowik.

The 39-year-old first earned a playcalling role with Houston in 2023 and found immediate success, with top-13 finishes in total yards, scoring, passing yards, and passing TDs. Houston also ranked fourth in offensive pace.

That success lasted only one more season in Houston, after the offense fell to 22nd in yards and 19th in points.

Slowik spent last year as Miami’s pass-game coordinator, but the Fins were a fantasy wasteland: 31st in plays, 31st in pace, and 30th in pass rate over expected. 

Slowik said this offseason that the “bones” of former HC Mike McDaniel’s offense will remain.

"I believe in running the ball, believe strongly in running the ball," Slowik said via USA Today. I think most of the successful teams in the NFL these days run the ball really well at a high clip and really build it from there as far as you got to win in the trenches. I like keeping the defense off balance. It’s probably my No. 1 thing as far as what I look for as a play caller.”

That approach, paired with Miami’s thin receiving group, sets Willis up for low pass volume.

Paths to Ceiling

It’s all about the rushing. 

Over the past two seasons in Green Bay, Willis owns 42 carries, 261 yards, and 3 TDs. That’s in 11 appearances, although the bulk of his production came in three starts.

We project Willis for 661 rushing yards, second-most at the position behind Jayden Daniels. If the Dolphins get him close enough to the end zone to boost Willis beyond the 5 rushing TDs we project, then he could crack the position’s top 12 in fantasy points.

De'Von Achane

2025 Role & Results

Achane Delivers Another RB1 Season

Achane set a career high with 1,350 rushing yards. He added 67 catches for 488 yards and 4 TDs. 

Achane ranked:

• fifth among RBs in PPR points per game
• fifth in half-PPR points per game
• sixth in non-PPR points per game

He finished as a top-12 PPR RB in 11 of 16 games and ranked no lower than RB17 in any week.

Busy as a Receiver ... And Falling Short in Another Key Area

Achane ranked second among Dolphins with an 18.7% target share. That ranked second among all RBs behind only Christian McCaffrey.

Achane saw creative usage, leading all RBs with 106 slot snaps and tying for second in RB snaps out wide (42). Despite ranking sixth among RBs in total targets, he led the position with 32 screen targets for 224 yards, signaling his importance to the passing game.

As a rusher, though, Achane’s results were mixed. He finished a solid eighth at the position in carry share but just 21st in red-zone rushing share (43.9%) and 36th in usage inside the 10 (34.4%). That obviously caps the fantasy upside.

Efficiency Metrics Show a Mixed Bag

Among 49 RBs with 100+ carries, Achane ranked:

• First in yards per carry
• First in yards after contact per attempt
• First in Pro Football Focus’ breakaway percentage (the share of rushing yards that come from runs of 15+)
• Second in PFF’s elusive rating
• Fifth in rush yards over expected per attempt

Achane’s efficiency metrics as a receiver weren’t nearly as strong. Among 27 RBs with 40+ targets, he ranked:

• 10th in yards per route run
• 15th in yards after catch per reception
• 20th in yards per catch
• 21st in catch rate

Supporting Cast Doesn't Provide Relief

Credit Achane for his excellent 2025, because Miami supplied a poor environment for production.

The Fins ranked 24th in rushing attempts, 31st in total plays, and 32nd in situation-neutral pace. They finished 26th in total yardage; 25th in scoring.

The Dolphins didn’t get a rebound season from Tua Tagovailoa, who posted just 6.2 yards per attempt across 14 games. The O-line remained underwhelming, too, ranking 29th in ESPN’s run-block win rate.

Achane Holds Up Under Heavy Volume

Achane missed about three weeks of practice with an August calf injury but returned for Week 1.

He missed the second half of Week 14 with a rib injury and sat out Week 18 with a shoulder injury. 

Overall, Achane proved durable on a 305-touch workload after appearing in all 17 games in 2024.

2026 Opportunity & Projection

His Role Should Look the Same

The Dolphins signed Achane to a four-year extension with $32 million guaranteed in May. He's now the league's third-highest paid RB and remains locked in as the lead back.

Ollie Gordon and Jaylen Wright are expected to compete for the backup role. Gordon struggled as a rookie, posting just 2.10 yards after contact per attempt while finishing with a league-worst 22.8% tackle-for-loss rate.

Still, the 228-pounder out-carried Achane at the goal line last year, 12-11, and could remain a thorn in that area.

Wright enters Year 3 with little on his resume after mustering just 4.1 yards per carry and 5 receptions across 10 games last year.

Supporting Cast Is a Problem

Achane’s surroundings look shakier after Miami moved on from Tagovailoa and WRs Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

QB Malik Willis adds a high-end rushing threat and a potential goal-line challenger to Achane. But he has never thrown more than 61 passes in a season, making him a huge unknown in an offense devoid of pass catchers. And the downside risk here could limit scoring chances for Achane.

Defenses simply won’t fear this WR corps. It enters the summer as an unsettled group of lackluster veterans (Tutu Atwell and Jalen Tolbert) and rookies (Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell). Bell is still working back from an ACL tear suffered late in 2025.

Malik Washington projects as an OK slot target. But this league-worst WR unit should continue forcing more work to Achane. That helps his potential target count and could keep the RB’s floor steadier in PPR formats.

The O-line looks marginally better with the arrival of Round 1 pick Kadyn Proctor. The college OT is expected to play LG as a rookie. He, LT Patrick Paul, and C Aaron Brewer make up a left side that projects as the strength of this unit. 

Miami needs a huge step forward from RG Jonah Savaiinaea after he finished with the position’s third-worst PFF run-blocking grade. RT Austin Jackson is serviceable when healthy, but he has played eight or fewer games in three of the past four seasons.

Achane Won't Learn a New Scheme

Achane will work with new play-caller Bobby Slowik, but don’t expect a major overhaul in offensive approach. Slowik spent 2025 as Miami’s pass-game coordinator and has already shared his commitment to the run.

"I believe in running the ball, believe strongly in running the ball," Slowik said via USA Today. I think most of the successful teams in the NFL these days run the ball really well at a high clip and really build it from there as far as you got to win in the trenches. I like keeping the defense off balance. It’s probably my No. 1 thing as far as what I look for as a play caller.”

Risk Factors

You can worry about Achane’s durability at 191 pounds, but he has missed only one game over the past two seasons.

The offensive environment is the problem. 

Achane tied a career high with 12 total TDs last year, adding an excellent 5.7 yards per carry. The scoring may be particularly difficult to repeat on what projects as one of the NFL’s worst offenses. Last year, Achane tied Jonathan Taylor as the second-biggest overachiever in TDs per game (0.80) vs. expected (0.43).

Greg Dulcich

2025 Role & Results

Dulcich Emerges From the Practice Squad

Dulcich posted 26 catches, 335 yards, and 1 TD across 10 games in 2025. He reached 40 yards in half of his games.

The practice-squad call-up ranked 31st in fantasy points per game. He peaked with a TE5 finish in Week 17 alongside rookie QB Quinn Ewers but ranked no better than TE18 in his other nine games.

An Injury Boosted His Role

Dulcich’s role began after Darren Waller hit short-term IR ahead of Week 8. In the next four games without Waller, Dulcich posted middling marks in route rate (54%) and target share (12%).

Waller returned in Week 13 and predictably beat him in route rate (60% to 41%) and target share (19% to 13%) over the next five games. Those margins aren’t huge, though. And Dulcich saw his role jump in the finale with Waller again sidelined. He caught just 3 of 4 targets for 31 yards but saw a season-high in route rate (68%).

Call it notable growth for a guy brought up from the practice squad around midseason.

Tantalizing Efficiency

Dulcich posted excellent efficiency metrics: 

• 12.9 yards per catch
• 7.5 yards after catch per reception 
• 2.31 yards per route run

Those topped his marks from a promising 2022 rookie year in Denver: 

• 12.5 yards per catch 
• 4.5 yards after catch per reception 
• 1.30 yards per route run

Dulcich didn’t put out a meaningful sample in 2023, when injuries limited him to two games, or 2024, when Dulcich made just four appearances before the Broncos waived him in November.

One of the Worst Offensive Environments

Dulcich played seven games with Tua Tagovailoa and three with Ewers. Dulcich averaged 2.1 catches, 28.5 yards, and 0 TDs with Tua and 3.6 catches, 45.0 yards, and 0.33 TDs with Ewers. 

The Dolphins supplied a terrible environment for fantasy production, ranking 32nd in situation-neutral pace, 31st in plays, and 30th in pass rate over expected. They ranked 26th in total yards and 25th in scoring.

Dulcich Dodges an Injury

Dulcich struggled to stay on the field early in his career. He sustained four separate hamstring injuries between July 2022 and October 2023. The result was 22 missed games and a stint in Denver that lasted parts of only three seasons, after he arrived as a Round 3 pick.

Dulcich avoided any type of injury in 2025.

2026 Opportunity & Projection

The Favorite for Lead TE Duties?

Dulcich is the favorite to lead Miami TEs in receiving.

He re-signed on a one-year, $3.25 million deal at the start of free agency. It’s certainly not a huge deal, but nearly all of that money is guaranteed. 

There are other signs that Miami is intrigued here. GM Jon Eric Sullivan said he thought Dulcich had “a really good back end of the season, and I want to see if he can build on that.” 

The draft brought two new TEs, but neither is expected to push Dulcich for his role. Round 3 pick Will Kacmarek never topped 22 catches in a season in college and profiles as a blocking TE. Round 5 pick Seydou Traore is a developmental player.

There’s not much competition at WR either. Veterans Tutu Atwell and Jalen Tolbert combined for only 305 yards in 2025, playing for the Rams and Cowboys, respectively. 

The team added three rookies in Caleb Douglas, Chris Bell, and Kevin Coleman. Bell brings the potential to develop into a go-to target, but he’s recovering from a November ACL tear and could miss early-season games.

QB Play is a Wild Card

Willis is a bit of a mystery given his limited experience. But his small sample over the past two seasons at least showed promise.

Willis tallied 972 yards, 6 TDs, and 0 INTs in Green Bay, while posting huge efficiency marks with 10.9 yards per attempt and 78.6% completions across 11 appearances (three starts).

That was a clear departure from his ugly early-career run in Tennessee. Across 2022 and 2023, the Round 3 pick managed only a 53.0% completion rate, 5.3 yards per attempt, and 0 TDs on 66 passes.

The Dolphins, led by former Green Bay DC Jeff Hafley, signaled faith by giving Willis a three-year deal with $45 million guaranteed. Structurally, though, it looks more like a two-year commitment.

At this point, it’s hard to call Willis an asset for Dulcich.

Coaching Staff Looks Neutral for Dulcich

The Dolphins promoted passing-game coordinator Bobby Slowik to OC this offseason. 

He coordinated the 2023-24 Houston offense to Nos. 11 and 12 rankings in pass attempts, respectively. Their 12th- and ninth-place ranks in pass rate point to at least a slight passing lean. This year’s Dolphins, though, don’t seem to support a similar lean.

Texans TEs ranked 18th and 20th in target share in Slowik’s two seasons. So his ascent doesn’t look like a win or loss for Dulcich.