The Dolphins’ 2026 offseason will finally break a brutal trend — and as such will serve as the launch point for Miami’s next rebuild

For the first time in several years, Miami’s offseason road won’t be littered with painful goodbyes.

Kyle Crabbs — NFL National Writer

Nov 8, 2025 10:22 AM EST

The past few off-seasons for the Miami Dolphins have been filled with some hard decisions. There have been several tough goodbyes for Miami since the end of the 2023 season, with notable players like Robert Hunt, Christian Wilkins, Brandon Jones, and Jevon Holland departing as once-drafted players.

Add in the retirement of Terron Armstead, the trade of cornerback Jalen Ramsey (not a hard decision), and tight end Jonnu Smith, plus the cap casualties like Jerome Baker and Xavien Howard? The exodus of talent out of Miami has further hindered the Dolphins’ ability to build a winner over the last two years.

There will be plenty of players leaving Miami once again this offseason. But there’s good news for a Dolphins team that could certainly use some — this appears to be the first offseason in the last four years in which Miami won’t have to say some difficult goodbyes.

Dolphins’ 2026 expiring contracts won’t feature many hard decisions

You could argue that the looming talent loss in Miami is easier because the talent has bled from the roster since 2023. You’d be right. But the 2026 offseason, which begins in two months for the Dolphins, will be the first one in several years that sees few (if any) hard decisions on personnel from the standpoint of whether they’re a part of the future.

We will surely see the Dolphins cut ties with wide receiver Tyreek Hill, which would have been viewed as a monumental loss before a catastrophic knee injury, and Hill’s end-of-2024 comments about wanting to move on from the team and the persistent storyline that provided Miami all offseason. Names like Bradley Chubb, Austin Jackson, and Minkah Fitzpatrick loom as potential casualties as well.

But those aren’t hard long-term decisions at this stage, relative to what Miami is facing to rebuild. Miami will surely not have a hard time saying yes to potentially $47.33 million in payroll if it were to part ways with this trio of players in 2026.

That’s where there’s value for this juncture for the Dolphins. There are five players scheduled to be unrestricted free agents this offseason in Miami who have played more than 40% of the team’s snaps through Week 9:

1. OT Larry Borom
2. CB Rasul Douglas
3. CB Jack Jones
4. OG Cole Strange
5. SAF Ashtyn Davis

Each signed a one-year deal in Miami this past offseason for minimum salary or modestly higher compensation. Borom, Douglas, and Jones have all played at least 88% of the snaps. But Borom was intended to be a swing tackle, whereas Douglas (who has been good) and Jones signed in August. Douglas has reached that magic age of 30 for NFL cornerbacks, while Jones turns 28 next month.

The highest-paid Dolphins set to hit free agency? Backup quarterback Zach Wilson, cornerback Kader Kohou (injured in training camp and will miss all season), Ifeatu Melifonwu, Matthew Judon, Davis, and Borom. There are no rookie contracts set to leave because Miami’s expiring class is the 2022 NFL Draft — career special teamer Cameron Goode is the only one of four picks from that class on the roster, and he’ll be a restricted free agent this offseason. Oops.

So, Dolphins fans, take the good with the bad. The bad news is that Miami’s roster has been gradually bled of key talent over the last two years by doubling down on the wrong contracts and players. The good news is that Miami’s transitions away from talent this upcoming offseason will likely be without a difficult goodbye, which we can say is the case for the first time in a while.

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