The Miami Dolphins are reportedly hiring Jeff Hafley as their next head coach in the hope they can rebound following a disappointing 2025 NFL season.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported as much Monday:
Hafley coached Boston College from 2020-23, compiling a 22-26 record and guiding the Eagles to a Fenway Bowl win in 2023.
His decision to leave BC and become defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers was part of a larger conversation about college football’s direction in the NIL and transfer portal era.
After leading a top-10 defense in two years with Green Bay, he positioned himself for his first crack at being an NFL head coach.
This move follows the arrival of Jon-Eric Sullivan as the general manager. Sullivan was most recently the vice president of player personnel for the Packers, with whom he had worked in a variety of roles dating back to 2003.
It looked like Miami might forge ahead with Mike McDaniel as the head coach when he wasn’t immediately dismissed after the regular season concluded. The Dolphins were also operating with an interim general manager, having already fired Chris Grier. One line of thinking was that the next full-time GM could decide McDaniel’s fate.
Instead, team owner Stephen Ross determined “our organization is in need of comprehensive change.”
McDaniel’s firing wasn’t a shock. He had a 35-33 record in charge and failed to win a playoff game. Franchise quarterback Tua Tagovailoa regressed in a big way following his 2023 Pro Bowl season. And questions were raised about the atmosphere within the locker room.
With Hafley coming aboard, we’ll get to see how much McDaniel was to blame for the Dolphins’ failure to fulfill their lofty ambitions.
In the case of Tagovailoa, for example, the 27-year-old simply may not be a leading figure who’s worthy of a $53.1 million annual salary.
Between 2024 and 2025, the southpaw averaged 7.1 yards per attempt and had 39 touchdowns to 22 interceptions. He regained the label of being a passer who was efficient on short-range attempts but unable or unwilling to test secondaries down the field.
Browns Pick Off Tua Twice
Beyond the raw numbers, the eye test told its own story.
“I saw a quarterback who couldn’t play football after his first read,” one defensive coach told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler after scouting Tagovailoa. “And then he was on the interception train damn near every week.”
The veteran signal-caller’s time in South Florida might effectively be over between his Week 16 benching and remark that a change “would be dope.”
Star wide receiver Tyreek Hill could be on the way out as well.
Hill’s production fell off in 2024 before he suffered a dislocated knee four games into the 2025 season. At 31, he may never again be the home-run threat who made eight straight Pro Bowls.
The situations will Hill and Tagovailoa are an illustration of how the bill is coming due from the win-now moves Grier executed.
Miami is projected to be $8.4 million over the salary cap. That number will eventually come down, but the front office isn’t going to have a lot of money to transform the roster ahead of Week 1.
Parting ways with Hill and Tagovailoa, be it through a trade or outright release, will saddle the Dolphins with a lot of dead money. In the case of Tua, they’re on the hook for $67.4 million in 2026 and then another $31.8 million in 2027 even if they designate him as a post-June 1 cut.
The alternative is holding onto Tagovailoa, where the risk is he’s a highly compensated backup or sees his performance continues to slide as the starter. Perhaps a coaching change is enough to rebuild his confidence.
In general, it’s tough to envision Hafley sparking a quick turnaround like Mike Vrabel did with the New England Patriots. The Dolphins are in all likelihood headed toward a one-year reset before the head coach and general manager can fully implement their shared vision.
