Some, but not all, of the biggest remaining names at wide receiver should be off-limits for the 2026 Miami Dolphins
If the Miami Dolphins wanted to add a top free agent wide receiver for 2026, which one would be the best fit?
I don’t think the Miami Dolphins ultimately will sign a veteran wide receiver of significant to their roster between now and the start of the 2026 regular season.
The team has several young players that they’ve invested in throughout the 2026 NFL Draft and a series of veterans to sprinkle into the room. But if they did aspire to add a proven talent at the position, there are a handful of names out there. The question becomes which one of them would make the most sense from a fit and cost perspective for the 2026 Miami Dolphins? This year’s team has some very “unique” conditions — so let’s explore the top four candidates.
Which top-flight wide receiver free agent would make the most sense for the 2026 Miami Dolphins?
Wide Receiver Stefon Diggs
Diggs can certainly still play at an impactful level. He was a 1,000 yard receiver for the New England Patriots last season. But it bears remembering that New England replaced Diggs expeditiously this offseason amid several off-field incidents. He’s also been known to wear his heart on his sleeve on the field — even at the expense of his teammates.
That probably makes Diggs a bad fit for the 2026 Miami Dolphins. Miami is focused on building up a positive culture in the first year of their build. A target-hungry receiver who isn’t afraid to let you hear it — or alternatively can be known for troubles off the field — feels like a square peg in a round hole. No thanks on Stefon Diggs.
Wide Receiver Deebo Samuel
I came clean on this one earlier this summer. The later we get towards training camp and the cheaper a hypothetical price tag becomes here, the more I like the idea of Deebo Samuel as a short-term option. Is he a progress-blocker for the young receivers? Maybe, although not necessarily when the most similar skill set of the group in Miami is rookie Chris Bell. Bell, of course, is coming back from a torn ACL — so there’s a clear opening for playing time.
The biggest issue for Samuel is the cost. He played in Washington last season for over $17 million. That’s a non-starter number for the 2026 Miami Dolphins. Is he willing to play for a third of that in 2026? If so, we may have something. If not, the fit feels like a long shot.
Wide Receiver Keenan Allen
Allen is an attractive choice through a few layers. He returned to Los Angeles in 2025 to play on a one-year deal with just over $3 million in total value. He’s one of the best route runners of an entire generation of wide receivers. And as an older veteran, you can probably pick and choose your spots with his usage.
Can you get him out of California, though? Allen spent one year in Chicago in 2024 and promptly headed straight back to the Chargers for 2025. He may not have interest in heading all the way across the country…as he alluded to in an interview from February (below). Of course, signings are a two-way street. And if Allen wants to play but the Chargers are moving on…
Wide Receiver Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers*
NO!
Absolutely, positively not. The maligned 49ers standout receiver is technically not a free agent yet, but he’s about to be. That is, of course, assuming he realizes that he does need to report to training camp to facilitate his release. The Aiyuk situation in San Francisco has turned into an unmitigated disaster. He’s lost guaranteed money, been fighting the team through social media for months, and now is apparently feuding with Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels — which is where he’d been pining to go play.
I’d go as far as to say anyone willing to bring Aiyuk onto their roster for 2026, given his erratic outbursts off the field, probably isn’t seeing the full picture. It would be, for me, a devastating miscalculation after all of the good Miami did this offseason to fix the culture.
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