The Miami Dolphins have had a turbulent season up to this point. Coming off a close win over the New Orleans Saints and sitting at 5-7, on the outside looking in at the AFC playoff picture, it is easy to understand why Dolphins fans have been disappointed with the team’s performance.
Offseason
Preseason win-total projections listed the Dolphins at an over/under of 7.5 wins — a mediocre outlook for a team that reached the postseason two years ago. There were many question marks about the roster heading into the year, the biggest being the secondary, which lost its two best cornerbacks in the offseason. The Jalen Ramsey trade to the Steelers and Kendall Fuller leaving in free agency left Miami with an unproven cornerback group, made worse by a preseason injury to Kader Kohou.
Other notable offseason additions included draft picks defensive tackle Kenneth Grant and guard Jonah Savaiinaea, as well as safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who arrived in the Ramsey trade.
Miami entered the year hoping that Tua Tagovailoa, De’Von Achane, Tyreek Hill, and Zach Sieler could lead the team back to the playoffs and end the Dolphins’ 24-year postseason win drought.
Regular Season
The Dolphins opened their 2025 campaign on the road against the Indianapolis Colts, a team coming off a disappointing 2024 and debuting new quarterback Daniel Jones. Indianapolis dominated in a shocking 33-8 rout, as Miami came out flat and never recovered.
The following week, the Dolphins returned home to face their division rival New England Patriots, who were also coming off an unsuccessful 2024 season. Miami held a 27–23 fourth-quarter lead after a Malik Washington punt-return touchdown, but on the ensuing kickoff, Antonio Gibson returned it 90 yards for a score, giving New England a 30-27 advantage. A late Tagovailoa interception with 2:21 remaining sealed a 33-27 loss.
From there, the Dolphins traveled to Buffalo for Thursday Night Football. Miami went back and forth with the Bills before tying the game at 21 early in the fourth quarter with a Hill touchdown. After a defensive stop, a costly roughing-the-kicker penalty gave Buffalo a second chance, which they turned into a Khalil Shakir touchdown. Tagovailoa threw another late interception, and Miami fell to 0-3 after a 31-21 loss.
Following the rough start, Miami secured its first victory on Monday Night Football against the Jets, but the win came at a cost as star receiver Tyreek Hill suffered a season-ending knee injury. The Dolphins then traveled to Carolina, hoping to get the season back on track. They started hot with a 17-0 lead, but the Rico Dowdle show took over as the Panthers scored 20 unanswered points to take a 20-17 lead. A Jaylen Waddle deep touchdown put Miami back ahead, but a late Panthers score sealed another heartbreaking loss.
Now 1-4, Miami dropped another tight game at home to the Chargers, 29-27. Newly acquired tight end Darren Waller scored with 52 seconds left, but Los Angeles marched down for a Cameron Dicker field goal to win it. The Dolphins followed that loss with an embarrassing 31-6 defeat in Cleveland, falling to 1-6.
Facing a surging Falcons team coming off a primetime win over the Bills, the Dolphins responded with their best game of the season in a 34-10 win. Achane starred with 115 total yards and two touchdowns. Momentum didn’t last, though, as Miami was blown out 28-6 by the Ravens on Thursday night, dropping to 2-7. Following that loss, longtime general manager Chris Grier was fired, and interim GM Champ Kelly took over ahead of the trade deadline. He largely held the roster together but dealt Jaelan Phillips to the Eagles for a 2026 third-round pick.
With hope fading, Miami shocked the Bills with a dominant 30-13 win, playing its most complete game of the season. Achane exploded for 225 total yards and two touchdowns, and Waddle added a 44-yard score in a season-changing performance.
The Dolphins then traveled to Madrid to face an injury-riddled Commanders team, escaping with a 16-13 overtime win on a Riley Patterson field goal.
Fresh off the bye week, Miami returned home to face rookie quarterback Tyler Shough and the Saints. The Dolphins jumped out to a 16-0 halftime lead thanks to an Achane touchdown and three Patterson field goals, but the offense stalled in the second half. A Chris Olave touchdown and two-point conversion cut the lead, and after both teams traded field goals, Miami led 19-11. With three minutes left, the Dolphins failed on a 4th-and-1, setting up a Saints touchdown that cut the lead to two. As the crowd roared, a false-start penalty pushed New Orleans’ two-point try back to the seven-yard line — and Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted the pass, returning it 100 yards for a crucial “pick-two” that put Miami ahead 21–17. The Saints recovered the onside kick and picked up a first down to Olave, but the Dolphins’ defense held strong to secure their third straight win and improve to 5–7.
Now
The Dolphins now sit at 5-7 and likely need to win out to have a realistic shot at the postseason. Third-year running back De’Von Achane is having his best season yet and surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in the win over New Orleans. Jaylen Waddle has become the primary target for Tagovailoa following Tyreek Hill’s injury, and Miami’s defense has stepped up lately, led by Jordan Brooks, who has a league-leading 137 tackles.
The 2025 season has created a clear divide among Dolphins fans: some want to see Miami push for a gritty playoff run — one that would require an eight-game win streak — while others prefer the team to tank and secure a top-10 draft pick to begin another rebuild.
In the end, the Dolphins still control their own destiny to some degree. If they win out against the Jets, Steelers, Bengals, Buccaneers, and Patriots, a 10-7 finish could be enough to sneak into the postseason. Only time will tell what this season ultimately becomes in Miami.