With two games left to play, the Miami Dolphins‘ season is currently all about “assessment”. Every coach, every player, and every other employee should be operating as if they were under the microscope — because they most likely are. The Dolphins are going to be making some big changes in the weeks and months ahead; which is exciting news for a fanbase that is hungry for the team trajectory to change, too.

Some things on the field are out of your control. One thing that usually is? Playing within the rules. And as we start to assess this year’s team down the final stretch, it’s worth exploring which Dolphins players have controlled themselves best and which players have made the most costly violations throughout the season.

Here are Miami’s top-5 leaders in penalties this season.

Miami Dolphins’ 2025 penalty leaders through Week 16

CB Jack Jones – 6 penalties

• 3 defensive pass interferences
• 3 defensive holdings
• 60 total yards of penalties assessed
  
  In the grand scheme of things, we’re doing alright. Jack Jones’ team-leading six penalties is half of what the NFL’s leader this season has in penalties (12, Chicago’s Darnell Wright). But Jones’ penalties have been hurtful ones. He had a brutal day against the Carolina Panthers, including a defensive holding and a defensive pass interference in the fourth quarter of a game the Dolphins choked away. He’s had one penalty assessed against him since October 5th, though.

OT Patrick Paul – 5 penalties

• 4 false starts
• 2 offensive holdings (one declined)
• 30 total yards of penalties assessed
  
  Paul’s development this season is a major one for Miami’s long-term outlook along the offensive line. He’s become a reliable starter as a second-year player — a big win for a unit that looked like it was going to struggle to replace Terron Armstead. Paul isn’t Armstead just yet, but he’s on his way. Given his collegiate scouting report, two holding penalties is a mark of his growth.

OT Larry Borom – 5 penalties

• 2 false starts
• 1 offensive holding
• 1 illegal use of hands to the face
• 1 illegal formation
• 35 total yards of penalties assessed
  
  I feel for Larry Borom. The illegal formation isn’t even his fault! He was called for being an illegal last man on the line of scrimmage because an eligible lined up incorrectly on the play. Such is life in the NFL at times. Given that Borom was signed to be a backup and had to play more than half the season as the starting right tackle, he’s played admirably well. And, as you can see, he’s done well to not make a lot of costly penalties.

OC Aaron Brewer – 4 penalties

• 3 offensive holdings (3 additional declined)
• 1 false start
• 35 total yards of penalties assessed
  
  No player on the Dolphins has had a better season than Aaron Brewer. And no player has also had more penalty luck than Brewer — both things can be true. Three declined holding penalties on long & late downs throughout the season were efforts to go above and beyond versus pressure to allow the ball to get out, only for the pass to fall incomplete anyway. Brewer to his credit, has not had a penalty accepted against him since the Chargers game. His worst game was in Week 2, when he caused three flags.

SAF Minkah Fitzpatrick – 4 penalties

• 2 defensive pass interferences
• 1 illegal contact (declined)
• 1 illegal formation
• 1 illegal low block
• 73 total yards of penalties assessed
  
  Fitzpatrick is the team’s leader in penalty yardage assessed. He currently ranks 20th in the NFL for most yardage responsible for — but don’t get too mad about it. 39 of his yards against were on a picture-perfect coverage rep along the sideline against the New York Jets that he was penalized for anyway. Even his other defensive pass interference, which nullified an interception against the Browns in Week 7, was a questionable call.

DT Zach Sieler – 4 penalties

• 1 roughing the passer
• 1 defensive holding
• 1 roughing the kicker
• 1 neutral zone infraction
• 40 total yards of penalties assessed
  
  Surely the one you remember is the roughing the kicker call against the Bills in Week 3 — a penalty that extended a fourth-quarter drive for the Bills and allowed them to score the deciding touchdown. That penalty was a part of the all-too-common theme early in the year of bad penalties at bad moments.

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