The Miami Dolphins supposedly had it all made- and we got a brief taste of their potential. Now, the Dolphins are facing a critical season, one that could decide the direction of the franchise for years.
The Dolphins’ long road to get here
Back in 2019, the Dolphins had one goal. They wanted Alabama Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Tua was the top overall prospect at the time, a clear favorite to go number 1 in the draft. This left Miami, who wasn’t exactly a contender, with one choice- Tank for Tua. It started very well, they gutted their roster of any major star player, and assembled a rag-tag group of players who would try their best, but probably not win.
As the season went on, however, things began to turn sideways in the Tank for Tua plan. The Dolphins won quite a few games down the stretch, and worse still, Tua got a hip injury and was no longer the best QB available. Despite all of this, Tua fell to them, and had their franchise set up for success.
A few years later and we’re already talking about ditching Tua and the new age Dolphins roster? What could’ve possibly led to this?
The Dolphins are in some deep water
Last off-season, the Dolphins made the blockbuster move to get Tyreek Hill from the Chiefs. At the time, it seemed like the move only a super bowl contender could dream of. Miami immediately had high expectations placed on them, and critics were quick to point out how Tua wasn’t exactly a top tier signal caller. However, he proved doubters wrong and played amazingly until receiving multiple concussions throughout the season.
Now, those concussions had Tua flirting with retirement. Not exactly inspiring for the Miami faithful. Tua is coming back on his fifth-year option, but could be a single concussion away from being forced out of football. It puts the Dolphins in a tough spot. Extending Tua could be risky. One freak play could put the team in a unenviable position of knowing their starting quarterback should not continue playing football.
Despite this, Miami is in win-now mode. Tyreek Hill automatically puts the team there. They have Jaylen Waddle as well, forming an elite offense filled to the brim with pieces ready to win games. This year, they traded for Jalen Ramsey to solidify a stout defense. The problem is that they are in a stacked division. With Aaron Rodgers on the Jets, the Phins look weak in comparison.
The expectations
The Dolphins should have a decent season, as least, according to most analysts and fans. Last year, they made the playoffs and didn’t lose much this off-season. They have some great pieces on both sides of the ball. They most definitely can deliver. They have not managed to win a postseason game however, although that might be because of yet another injury to Tua. All expectations should be to get to the playoffs, and win a game, hopefully more than one.
Per TheLines.com the Miami Dolphins are ranked tenth in the odds overall using five different sources for betting odds and averaging them out. They are behind teams like; The Chiefs, Bills, Bengals, Jets, and Chargers.
The Reality
The reality is that the Dolphins are in a tough situation. The division is going to be one of the toughest in the entire league. Tua is facing the bust label, and the team certainly has weak spots. With Rodgers in the division, their goals are going to be near impossible to achieve. Their main hope of getting into the playoffs is by the wild card, and with so much talent in the AFC, it’ll be nearly impossible to make it. However, they have proven that they can play very well in the first few weeks last year.
All in all the Dolphins are facing a huge uphill battle, and with such major expectation, it’s going to be a tough season that would determine their franchise’s future. All eyes should be paying attention. Stay tuned.
