NFL season preview: What to know about Dolphins' 2026 rebuild

Catch up quick: Miami has the league's youngest roster and owes $183 million to players no longer on the team, including quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

• The Phins — under a new general manager and head coach — cut or traded away many of their star players in the offseason, including receiver Jaylen Waddle and linebacker Bradley Chubb.

By the numbers: The Dolphins are projected as underdogs in all 17 games this year, according to ESPN's matchup predictor.

• The team is projected to win 4.5 games, the lowest in the NFL, per ESPN.
• Analysts are already looking ahead to the 2027 draft, where Miami could end up with the No. 1 overall pick if it loses more than any other team.

What they're saying: Coach Jeff Hafley said in a recent interview that success this season won't be measured by wins and losses.

• "I just think this year is so much about developing who we are as a football team, finding the right guys, and then just by the end of the year, saying, 'You know what? We got something really powerful going forward.'"

Names to know: Miami's best offensive player, 24-year-old Pro Bowl running back De'Von Achane, re-signed to a four-year contract and was voted a team captain for the first time in his career.

• The other team captains are new quarterback Malik Willis, center Aaron Brewer, left tackle Patrick Paul, defensive lineman Zach Sieler and linebacker Jordyn Brooks.

What's next: The Dolphins play their first two games on the road, against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday and the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 20, before hosting the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 27.