The Miami Dolphins’ biggest offensive wildcard in 2026 won’t take a single snap
The Miami Dolphins’ offense has plenty of questions. But the biggest one may not have to do with Malik Willis or the team’s young wide receivers.
The conversation around the Miami Dolphins‘ offense this season starts with quarterback Malik Willis. Sometime shortly after that, the conversation shifts to De’Von Achane. Then come the questions. Will Jonah Savaiinaea make a leap? Does the team have enough perimeter weaponry?
But perhaps the biggest question has nothing to do with the players. It’s the coach who will tie their skills together this season. Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik is the biggest wildcard for the Dolphins’ offense. And he was properly tabbed as a major storyline to watch by ‘The Athletic Football Show’ and analyst Derrik Klassen this week.
The biggest mystery about the Miami Dolphins’ offense in 2026 may not have to do with the players at all
“What (Slowik) was, especially at the end in Houston, it was kind of vanilla. It was a lot of just like ‘play the hits’ sort of Shanahan stuff and the run game in particular never really got off the ground. I’m wondering how much of him being on this staff last year and like not only just getting to see some of the Mike McDaniel stuff a little bit more up close…the offensive line is mostly the same guys and there’s a fullback on this team. S0 I’m just curious like how much has he taken from the failings that he had in Houston, then seeing one of the best run game designers in the NFL get to do this on this exact team.
How much of that can he really put together and drive things forward? I don’t even know necessarily what I think it’s going to look like. Like, I don’t know how much of it is it going to go back a little bit more to the stock standard Shanahan stuff. Is he going to do a lot more of the weird stuff?”
— The Athletic's Derrik Klassen
On Dolphins OC Bobby Slowik
The McDaniel to Slowik talking point is, generally speaking, completely overlooked. It’s not anyone’s fault. It’s just a byproduct of how extreme of a talent ejection the Dolphins had with on-field talent. But I can’t think of too many coordinator changes that took place alongside a head coaching change that asked a former assistant to stay on staff and take a promotion. The whole set of circumstances is fascinating.
And, to leave the door open for success for Slowik, it’s fair to point out that he was generally given the blame for Houston QB CJ Stroud not taking a leap from his rookie season to 2024. Stroud was statistically more efficient in 2025 without Slowik — but by incremental margins. It’s not like Slowik leaving Houston unlocked Stroud to prove that theory right.
The Miami Dolphins’ offensive coordinator collected a year-long crash course on some personnel that he’s now responsible for moving around the board. And he’s got one of the most explosive backfield combinations in all of football between Malik Willis and De’Von Achane. Argue with a wall if you disagree, there. Can he bear fruit with these things in his favor? It’s one of the biggest questions of the Dolphins’ season, as properly tabbed by Klassen.
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