The Miami Dolphins' rebuild is officially underway. Not only did the Dolphins make personnel changes by hiring Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley as their GM and head coach, respectively, but they've made roster cuts as well, releasing Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb on Monday.
Neither release comes as a surprise. Hill's release felt imminent, and while the Dolphins could've kept Chubb around, he was set to make too much money in 2026 for Miami to justify. As much as the release of these two productive veterans stings, Dolphins fans should prepare for many more moves to come. These six players are unlikely to be on the roster come Week 1 next season.
Dolphins free agents who won't be back
CB Rasul Douglas
Rasul Douglas had a strong season for the Dolphins in 2025, recording a couple of interceptions, 62 tackles, and even setting a career-high with a pair of QB hits. Douglas had a 73.5 PFF grade, good for 19th among 114 cornerbacks, showing just how steady he was all year for Miami. His stout performance is exactly why he won't be back, though.
In a perfect world, Douglas would be back in the mix in 2026, but can the Dolphins really justify paying him what he'll be seeking when he's already 30 years of age? The Dolphins likely won't be competitive in 2026, so why does it make sense to give Douglas a big contract when he'll likely be in decline by the time the Dolphins are ready to compete again?
Part of entering a rebuild is letting good players go, and as painful as it might be in this case, the Dolphins have no real reason to be the team to overpay him in free agency.
OG Liam Eichenberg
Liam Eichenberg was given one last shot to salvage his Dolphins career when he signed a one-year deal with Miami last offseason, but the leg injury he suffered during the offseason wound up costing him his entire 2025 season. Eichenberg didn't play a single snap for Miami, as he was on the PUP list all year, and it reportedly "isn't certain" that he'll even be able to play football again.
An argument could've been made that the Dolphins should've just let him go last offseason, but with his career potentially in jeopardy, it's hard to see much of a fit now. It isn't as if this new regime drafted him.
QB Zach Wilson
It's tough to say that a backup quarterback won't be back when a reserve could conceivably play on any of the 30 teams, but Zach Wilson's relationship with the Dolphins soured to the point where it feels certain he'll be wearing another uniform in 2026.
Wilson made it clear that he was not happy with Miami's decision to start Quinn Ewers down the stretch, so why would he want to return when he'll almost certainly be behind Ewers (and maybe even another quarterback) on Miami's depth chart? Why would the Dolphins want him back if a quarterback who has accomplished as little as Wilson has would vent publicly about being passed over?
It's in both sides' best interest to move on. The question I have is, will Wilson find a team willing to give him yet another chance?
Dolphins trade/cut candidates who won't be back
QB Tua Tagovailoa
The Dolphins are paying Tua Tagovailoa as if he's their franchise quarterback, but he's anything but. Not only did the Dolphins bench him down the stretch in favor of Ewers, a seventh-round rookie, last season, but Tagovailoa has clear injury concerns, doesn't have the best arm, and cannot play in the cold.
The only thing that'll keep Tagovailoa in Miami is his ridiculous cap hit. Cutting him would cost Miami roughly $100 million, which is an absurd expense to pay to watch him play elsewhere. Trading him is the dream scenario, but with that contract, I'm not sure it's possible.
With the Dolphins looking to start fresh, it feels likely that one way or another, Tagovailoa won't be back in 2026. Whether the Dolphins cut him or trade him, it'd be surprising if Tagovailoa wasn't in a new uniform in 2026.
K Jason Sanders
When healthy, Jason Sanders is a quality NFL kicker, and he got a five-year, $22 million extension from Miami in 2021 with that in mind. The problem, though, is that he missed the entire 2025 season with a hip injury, and his replacement, Riley Patterson, had a very strong year.
Knowing how well Patterson played in Sanders' role, why would Miami bother paying Sanders $4.5 million in 2026, coming off a serious injury, when they can simply take on a minimal cap hit for cutting Sanders and choose to re-sign Patterson, who happens to be four years younger, for less?
Why Jaylen Waddle might've played his last snap with the Dolphins
Easily the most consequential name on this list is Jaylen Waddle, and admittedly, I have no idea whether he'll be back or not. Trading him would make a lot of sense, though.
Sure, parting with a receiver of Waddle's caliber is easier said than done, especially after cutting Tyreek Hill, but the Dolphins are in teardown mode. Their No. 1 goal should be to accumulate assets and attempt to win in the future. Do they have a more valuable trade candidate than Waddle to bring them additional assets? Plus, even if they want to keep Waddle, is that a good idea?
Waddle will be 28 in the middle of the 2026 season, and his cap hit increases exponentially in 2027 and in 2028 from where it is in 2026. They considered trading him at the deadline for a reason. The Dolphins shouldn't just give Waddle away, but if there's a deal to be had that could bring them meaningful draft capital, and there's no reason to believe there wouldn't be, why not trade him and just reset things completely?
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