The NFL season concluded last night as the Seattle Seahawks dominated the New England Patriots en route to a Super Bowl victory in Santa Clara, California. With one season ending, all eyes now turn to the 2026 season — Miami’s first under new head coach Jeff Hafley.
There are plenty of questions surrounding the Dolphins organization — between a new coach, a new general manager, the looming Tua Tagovailoa decision, five top-100 draft picks and more — but before the final piece of confetti could even hit the field during Seattle’s celebration last night, ESPN had already released their first power rankings list for all 32 teams for the upcoming NFL season.
As you might have expected, this list was not kind to the Miami Dolphins.
Miami checks in at number 29 in the early rankings — aka the fourth worst team in the entire league. They rank ahead of just three teams — the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders.
Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN summed up Miami’s 2026 offseason in just three words: “Time to rebuild.”
Expounding upon that thought, Louis-Jacques had this to say about Miami’s hefty workload yet to come this offseason:
“The Dolphins hired a new general manager and head coach this offseason, as team owner Stephen Ross avoided the half-measures he has taken in years past. Under Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley, Miami wants to establish a new culture — an act that often requires a shuffling of both players and personnel. With a difficult schedule, thin roster and limited starting quarterback options, the Dolphins are likely facing at least a yearlong rebuild in 2026.”
For the entire list, click here.