One bold prediction for Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Zach Sieler entering the 2026 season
One of the Miami Dolphins’ few remaining high-price veterans looks to bounce back in 2026. Will he?
The Miami Dolphins didn’t have the season they were hoping for in 2025. As a result, there’s a whole bunch of new here in 2026.
But for those players who are returning to action in South Florida this season, the time to set about getting things back on track is now. There aren’t many holdovers for this team, but one of the biggest ones is defensive tackle Zach Sieler. Sieler, a team captain who received a contract extension last summer, had a down year in 2025 — just like many others. The question now is simple: is this the new normal? Or is a bounce back year in store for Sieler in 2026? Here’s my bold prediction for Sieler and what awaits him in 2026 under new head coach Jeff Hafley.
One bold prediction for Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Zach Sieler entering the 2026 season
The raw numbers behind Sieler’s 2025 season as a pass rusher are jarring. 32 pressures, 5.5 sacks, 9 quarterback hits. Sieler, per Pro Football Focus, logged the exact same number of pass rush reps last season (471) as he did in 2024, when Sieler posted 46 pressures, 10 sacks, and 19 quarterback hits.
Sieler has always been a nuanced player. The way he has played off of his teammates has, in my opinion, always been one of the less appreciated elements of his game. I had the chance to ask Sieler about that chemistry this past summer at Miami Dolphins training camp.
With that style of play, having a whole new room around him understandably contributed to the regression in numbers. The Dolphins onboarded three rookies in the defensive tackle room last season and, at times, it showed. So I think that part of Sieler’s game will normalize a bit in 2026. But I also believe Hafley’s scheme will be a bit more aggressive up front, allowing for some more organic wins and natural disruption.
Here’s the bold prediction: I think Sieler finishes 2026 with 50+ pressures. He’s achieved such a feat once before. That came in 2023, while playing for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio (60 pressures in total). In 2024, Sieler posted 46 pressures, just short of that half a century mark.
The vibes aren’t as high as they’ve been, I get it. But consider this, even with the down season in 2025, Sieler is among the tops in the league at defensive tackle since that 2023 season in terms of disruption.
Sieler ranks the following since 2023 among NFL defensive tackles per PFF data:
– 9th in pressures with 134 (behind Quinnen Williams, Leonard Williams, Kobie Turner, Jeffery Simmons, Osa Odighizuwa, Jalen Carter, Kenny Clark, Dexter Lawrence)
– 1st in sacks with 25.5 (only Kobie Turner, Leonard Williams, Nnamdi Madubuike, and Jeffery Simmons are also above 20.0)
– 5th in QB hits with 47 (behind Leonard Williams, Osa Odighizuwa, DeForest Bucker, and Nnamdi Madubuike)
This DESPITE the down year in 2025! These numbers are aided in part by Sieler being a snap warrior. He’s played the second-most snaps of any defensive tackle in the group. Will that continue in 2026? I believe so, because when the Dolphins go with their odd-front looks, Sieler can play 3-4 end. In even front looks, Sieler could serve as a base end or as a 3-tech. The path to staying on the field is there. And I think the numbers will look more like we’ve come to expect in 2026 as a result.
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