Why the 2026 Miami Dolphins Are Easy to Root For

“But mostly I hate the way I don’t hate you. Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.” – Kat, 10 Things I Hate About You.

We’ve discussed this before, but it probably bears repeating: The Dolphins aren’t going to win a lot of games this year. But that doesn’t mean the season can’t be a success. They’re evaluating a high-upside quarterback and laying the foundation for the future.

When you tear a team down to the foundation and build from there, there are plenty of great stories. Underdogs. High-upside draft picks. Blue-chippers. All cut from the cloth that the new front office values.

Again, this team isn’t going to be very good in 2026. But it’s also devoid of high-salaried free agents, the sort of acquisition that was rooted in a “win now” philosophy. Without naming individuals, the Dolphins developed a habit over the past couple of decades of acquiring talented football players who did not always fit the culture the organization was trying to build.

In the NFL, this is often a necessary evil. Top-tier athletes aren’t always exemplary humans in any sport; the need to “win at all costs” can compromise integrity, relationships, and even personal conduct. It’s just a lot easier to overlook these flaws when an athlete is simply bigger, faster, or stronger than 99.99999999% of people on the planet and wearing the colors of your favorite sports franchise.

A refreshing breath of fresh air has arrived in the form of the 2026 Miami Dolphins. As I reminded people in the first part of this article, the following things actually happened:

• QB Malik Willis gave his combine gear and items he received at the NFL Combine to a homeless person in Indianapolis in 2022. In his words, “I just felt like I had to do that.”

• Heisman Trophy candidate Jacob Rodriguez has already been recognized as a locker room leader and a team-first protagonist. It also doesn’t hurt that his wife is a West Point graduate and Blackhawk helicopter pilot.

• Fourth-rounder Kyle Louis has invariably been referenced as a “film junkie” and a culture builder.

• Former RV resident and standout DT Zach Sieler formed the Sieler Safe Haven Foundation, a community youth organization.

• All-Pro LB Jordyn Brooks has participated in anti-hunger and community outreach campaigns since his days with the Seahawks.

There are plenty of stories like this on your 2026 Miami Dolphins, and it’s a direct result of the edict from the new Front Office. The current brain trust wants high-effort, high-character players who love football.

2026 is a transition year, and it’s completely understandable to be jaded and skeptical. The Miami Dolphins have the longest playoff win drought in the NFL. We’re still stinging from the failures of Grier, McDaniel, and Tua. We’re suffering the huge dead cap hits, we hate the projected sub-.500 record, and we hate the inevitability of dropping tough games this season. 

But the team itself? Players who give away their combine gear to someone in need, who lead non-profits, who study film like fanatics, and who carry real character into the building every day? It’s easy to be cynical during what is likely a losing season, but this group makes it really, really hard. Mostly, I hate the way I don’t hate them. Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.