As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers enjoy one last extended break before training camp, we're taking a look at each team the Buccaneers are going to face during the 2025 season. From how those teams fared last year, to what they've done with the roster since, to some as-yet-unanswered questions – we want to get a better feel for what the Bucs will be up against this fall. Today's focus is on the Miami Dolphins, who are hoping from a fully healthy season from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and a strong showing from a rebuilt secondary.

2024 Results

After making the playoffs in each of Mike McDaniels' first two seasons as head coach and peaking at 11-5 in 2023, the Dolphins stumbled a bit in 2024, dropping to 8-9 and missing out on the postseason. They still finished second in the AFC East for the third straight year, but after losing the division title on a tiebreaker in 2023 they ended up five games back of Buffalo last season. Miami did win three of its last five games and six of its last nine, however.

The Dolphins started out on the right foot with a Week One win over the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars, with Tyreek Hill catching seven passes for 130 yards and a touchdown in game that was decided by Jason Sanders' walk-off 52-yard field goal. Unfortunately, the good times didn't last long, as Miami lost its next three games by an average margin of 20.3 points per contest. Buffalo got the first half of an eventual season sweep, with James Cook scoring three touchdowns and Ja'Marcus Ingram adding a pick-six in a 31-10 outcome. To add injury to insult on the next drive after that interception, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion that was particularly scary given his history with that ailment.

Skylar Thompson started at quarterback in Week Three but the Dolphins also signed Tyler Huntley off the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad. After Thompson was ineffective and the Miami offense gained just 205 yards in a 24-3 loss in Seattle, the team turned to Huntley for the next three games while waiting for Tagovailoa's return. Miami won just one of those three contests, a 15-10 decision at New England in Week Five in which Jaylen Wright and De'Von Achane led a 193-yard rushing attack.

The Dolphins had an early bye but Tagovailoa still wasn't ready in Week Seven as Huntley and Tim Boyle combined for just 161 passing yards in a 16-10 loss at Indianapolis. Tagovailoa did return the following weekend and performed well in a home game against Arizona – 234 passing yards, one touchdown and no interceptions – but the Cardinals rallied from a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to win 28-27 on a walk-off field goal.

The rematch against Buffalo was a lot more competitive, and Tagovailoa's second touchdown pass of the day, a seven-yard strike to Jaylen Waddle, tied the game at 27-27 with 98 seconds left in regulation. The Bills still walked away the victors, however, when Tyler Bass drilled a 61-yard field goal with five seconds on the clock. That loss dropped the Dolphins to 2-6 but the team then crept back up on .500 with consecutive wins over the Rams, Raiders and Patriots. The first of those three victories was the most impressive, as the Dolphins beat the eventual NFC West champs, 23-15, by holding Matthew Stafford without an interception, intercepting once and sacking him four times. The next two games were lopsided, with similar scores of 34-19 and 34-15, and Tagovailoa threw seven touchdown passes without an interception against Las Vegas and New England.

Miami lost two of its next three, however, with unsuccessful trips to Green Bay and Houston to face eventual playoff teams. In between was a 32-26 shootout win over the Patriots in Miami in which Hill caught 10 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown and Tagovailoa threw for 331 yards, his third straight 300-yard outing. Sanders tied the game at the end of regulation with a 52-yard field goal and the Dolphins won it in overtime on tight end Jonnu Smith's 10-yard touchdown catch.

The Dolphins kept their playoff hopes alive with wins over the San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns in Weeks 16 and 17. Achane had 190 yards and a touchdown in the 29-17 downing of the 49ers but Tagovailoa suffered a hip injury that would keep him out of the last two games of the season. Huntley got back in the lineup against Cleveland and combined 225 passing yards and a touchdown with another 52 yards and a score on the ground.

At 8-8, the Dolphins were still alive in the AFC playoff hunt thanks to key losses by Denver and Indianapolis in Week 17. In the final weekend, the Dolphins needed to beat the Jets in the Meadowlands and have Denver lose at home to Kansas City. Neither of those things happened. The Chiefs rested their starts and got blown out by the Broncos, 38-0. Miami got 121 yards and a touchdown from Achane but fell on the road, 32-20.

Miami's offense took a step back in 2024 – in large part due to Tagovailoa's injuries – after finishing first in yards and second in points the season before. Last year's team ranked 18th in yards and 22nd in points and particularly struggled to run the ball, which had previously been a strength. Miami averaged 105.6 rushing yards per game, ranking 21st, and 4.01 per carry to finish 28th. Achane did manage to rack up 1,499 yards from scrimmage (907 rushing, 592 receiving) and score 12 total touchdowns. Hill started every game but dealt with a wrist injury that required surgery after the season and failed to reach 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in five years, with 81 catches for 959 yards. Smith was a bright spot, blowing away his previous single-season highs with 88 catches and 884 yards.

Miami's defense was quietly effective, allowing 314.4 yards per game to rank fourth and 21.4 points per game to rank 10th. The unit finished ninth in both rushing and passing yards allowed and was particularly effective on third downs and in the red zone. Linebacker Jordyn Brooks, signed away from Seattle in the offseason, led the team with 143 tackles and also had 3.0 sacks and six passes defensed. Interior lineman Zach Sieler had a team-best 10.0 sacks and rookie Chop Robinson added 6.0. Linebacker Tyrel Dodson led the defense with three interceptions.

2025 Arrivals

After watching their run game drop 15 spots in the league rankings from 2023 to 2024, the Dolphins will have a new-look offensive line in 2025. Both guard spots could have new starters after the team signed former Steeler James Daniels to a three-year, $24 million contract and then used a high second-round pick, number 37 overall, on Arizona's Jonah Savaiinaea. Daniels is likely to step in at left guard and Savaiinaea could displace Liam Eichenberg at right guard. Miami also signed former Bear Larry Borom to a one-year deal and he could emerge as the primary swing tackle.

The Dolphins will have a new primary backup to Tagovailoa as well, which could prove important given that Tagovailoa has only played a full season once in his first five campaigns. The team is giving Zach Wilson, the second-overall pick in the 2021 draft, another shot after his three years with the Jets and last season as a backup in Denver. Quinn Ewers, taken in the seventh round out of Texas, could be in the mix as well.

Tagovailoa will have a few new targets to throw to in 2025, though Hill and Waddle figure to remain his favorite targets. The Dolphins signed wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine away from Tennessee with a two-year pact; Westbrook-Ikhine averaged roughly 30 catches for 435 yards a season over the last four years with the Titans. The tight end corps will look different after former Giants tight end Darren Waller came out of a one-year retirement and was traded to Miami for a late-round pick swap. The 32-year-old Waller had 52 receptions for 552 yards in 12 games for the Giants in 2023. The Dolphins also gave a one-year deal to former Seahawks tight end Pharaoh Brown. The same was true for running back Alexander Mattison, who figures to be third on the depth chart behind Achane and Wright.

The Dolphins have three new safeties to work with, though one of them is a very familiar face. Minkah Fitzpatrick is back for a second stint in Miami after the Dolphins traded cornerback Jalen Ramsey, tight end Jonnu Smith and a seventh-round pick to Pittsburgh for him and a fifth-round pick. Fitzpatrick has been to the Por Bowl in each of the last three seasons and five of the last six. Ifeatu Melifonwu could start next to him after coming over from the Lions, but former Jet Ashtyn Davis should be in the mix as well. Both got one-year deals in free agency.

The Dolphins also reloaded along their defensive front, most notably using the 13th-overall pick in the draft to nab Michigan defensive lineman Kenneth Grant. The 6-3, 330-pound Grant is a proven run-stuffer who also may be able to develop into an helpful up-the-middle pass rusher. Miami also used fifth and seventh-round picks on two other linemen in Maryland's Jordan Phillips and Georgia Tech's Zeek Biggers, and claimed Matthew Butler off waivers from Las Vegas.

The Dolphins churned over a lot of their second-line depth on defense during the offseason, as well. They picked up two veteran linebackers in former Buc K.J. Britt and former Saint Willie Gay, both on one-year deals. They had two other picks in the fifth round after taking Phillips and added more defensive depth in Florida cornerback Jason Marshall and Maryland safety Dante Trader. Cornerback Artie Burns, coming over from Seattle, adds much-needed cornerback depth and could be in the mix in the slot.

The Dolphins also made a couple notable changes on special teams. The team signed former Titans cannon-legged punter Ryan Stonehouse to a one-year deal, though they also still have last year's punter, Jake Bailey, on the roster. Stonehouse exceeded 50 yards per punt in each of his three seasons in Tennessee. The new long-snapper will be Joe Cardona, who held that job for the last decade in New England.

2025 Departures

As noted above, Ramsey and Smith were shipped to Pittsburgh in the Fitzpatrick trade. Ramsey and the Dolphins had made it known throughout the offseason that Ramsey wasn't expected to be on the team in 2025, so getting Fitzpatrick back may prove to be a big win. Ramsey had two interceptions and 11 passes defensed after making the Pro Bowl each of the four previous seasons (including with Miami in 2023). As noted above, Smith had the most prolific season of his career with 88 catches.

The influx of new safeties noted above was necessary because neither of last year's starters are back in 2025. Jevon Holland was a sought-after player in free agency and ended up with the Giants on a three-year, $45 million contract. Jordan Poyer also hit free agency and as of July had not yet signed with another team. Depth safety Siran Neal left as well, taking a two-year deal in San Francisco, and Marcus Maye had already been waived before the end of the 2024 season.

Defensive lineman Calais Campbell, still productive last year with 5.0 sacks at the age of 38, went back to his original team in Arizona. Edge rusher Emmanuel Ogbah, defensive tackle Da'Shawn Hand and linebacker Anthony Walker all took one-year deals with the Jaguars, Chargers and Buccaneers, respectively.

On offense, the biggest departure came with the expected retirement of standout tackle Terron Armstead after 12 NFL seasons in New Orleans and Miami. Patrick Paul, a second-round pick in 2024, is expected to stop into the void at left tackle. Guard Robert Jones, who started all 17 games at left guard last season, took a one-year deal in Dallas and tackle Kendall Lamm, who filled in for 15 starts over the past two seasons, moved on to Philadelphia. Tight end Durham Smythe (Chicago), wide receiver Braxton Berrios (Houston) and running back Raheem Mostert (Las Vegas), all took one-year deals elsewhere.

Other Noteworthy Developments

Though the Dolphins saw a lot of players leave in free agency, they did manage to retain some of their own potential defectors. Most notably, starting linebacker Tyrel Dodson stuck around with a two-year, $6 million deal. The team was also able to retain nose tackle Benito Jones, who started 15 games last season in returning for a second stint in Miami. Also retained were Eichenberg, safety Elijah Campbell and Quinton Bell, all depth pieces.

On the other hand, a number of players from last year's roster hit free agency and as of July hadn't signed with any team. That includes Poyer, Huntley, outside linebacker Tyus Bowser, cornerback Kendall Fuller, running back Jeff Wilson, tackle Isaiah Wynn and outside linebacker Duke Riley. Fuller and Mostert both became free agents when they were released in February, as did Smythe.

Miami made a couple of notable changes to its coaching staff. Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman was fired in January and replaced by Craig Aukerman, who held the same post in Tennessee from 2018-23. Wide Receivers Coach/Pass Game Specialist Wes Welker was also let go. The team brought in Robert Prince to coach the receivers and added former Texans Offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowik as a senior passing game specialist.

Pressing Questions

Can Tua Tagovailoa stay on the field for the majority of the season, and if not are the Dolphins set to weather any absence?

Tagovailoa's history of concussions and the worry about him incurring another one are most important, of course, in how they relate to his long-term health. Still, it's an important question as it regards to Miami's playoff hopes, as well. Mike McDaniel has tailored Miami's offense to take advantage of what Tagovailoa does well, including lightning-quick processing, and it simply hasn't operated nearly as well when someone else has been under center.

Obviously, the outcome everybody wants is for Tagovailoa to avoid any health issues in 2025, and he did play a full 17-game season in 2023. That year, the Dolphins led the NFL with 401.3 yards per game and finished second with 29.2 points per game. Miami still has the speedy trio of Hill, Waddle and Achane for Tagovailoa to distribute the ball to. The Dolphins could quickly rise back towards the top of the NFL ranks if their new-look offensive line provides good protection and their quarterback stays upright.

Last year, the Dolphins started the season with Skylar Thompson as Tagovailoa's top backup but quickly turned instead to Tyler Huntley after swiping him off Baltimore's practice squad. Now the man right behind Tagovailoa is Wilson, who did not work out in New York after being selected second overall in 2021. He won only 12 of his 33 starts, was well below league average in completion percentage (57.0%) and passer rating (73.2) and threw more interceptions (25) than touchdown passes (22). The Jets traded Wilson to Denver last offseason but with rookie quarterback Bo Nix winning the starting job and playing all 17 games for a playoff team, Wilson never got a shot at rehabilitating his career.

That shot could come in Miami this year, though the hope is that Wilson again won't be needed.

How will the secondary shaky out?

Miami's cornerback room was considered one of the thinnest in the NFL to begin the 2025 offseason, and that was before Ramsey was traded to Pittsburgh. The team added some depth with Artie Burns and Kendall Sheffield in free agency and Jason Marshall in the draft, but the current starters are expected to be Storm Duck and Cam Smith on the outside and Kader Kohou in the slot.

Duck is a former undrafted free agent who started three games last year as a rookie. Smith does have a second-round pedigree but he has zero starts through his first two seasons. Kohou is also a former undrafted free agent but he has the most experience of the three with 38 starts, including nine last year, when he recorded two interceptions and eight passes defensed. All three may end up being above average NFL defenders, but it's fair to call the group unproven at this point.

The Dolphins would seen to be better off at safety after getting Fitzpatrick back and signing Melifonwu and Davis. Fitzpatrick in particular is known for making impact plays, including 20 career interceptions. That said, that is a lot of new pieces for Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver to meld into one cohesive unit.