Breaking Down the Dolphins 2025 Captains

The Miami Dolphins are attempting to reset their culture in 2025, and that starts with the team’s captains.

Well, we finally found out who those players will be Monday. The Dolphins announced quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, fullback Alec Ingold, linebacker Jordyn Brooks, center Aaron Brewer, defensive tackle Zach Sieler, and edge rusher Bradley Chubb will be their six captains for the 2025 NFL season.

"I'm really excited about the whole voting process this year in general because each team is unique to its own and this team, I think, was much more unified and the focus on those six guys were very clear," head coach Mike McDaniel said before practice Monday. "So they were resounding vote getters. And I think it speaks to the team, I think, knew the assignment a little bit more and were focused on giving the keys of captainship to those that had earned it each and every day. And I think that's what it speaks to me the most, is a football team that knows who they want to be led by."

THE COMPARISON TO THE 2024 CAPTAINS

The Dolphins had eight captains last season, and this group looks a lot different. Tua, Ingold, and Sieler are repeats, but last year’s group included Tyreek Hill, Jalen Ramsey, Calais Campbell, Terron Armstead and David Long Jr.

Campbell and Armstead were excellent leaders, but it’s a bit rough looking back at the rest of that list. Hill’s comments at the end of the season and off-field antics are well documented, and it’s become clear Ramsey wasn’t entirely bought in last year.

Hill even mentioned in an interview earlier this offseason that he shouldn’t be made a captain this season after how 2024 ended.

Long might have been a great leader, but his play fell off such a cliff that the team cut him in the middle of the season.

This year, it’s clear that the Dolphins only wanted players who were truly bought in and talented. It wasn’t just about picking the best players. This will be Tua’s fourth time as a captain, and he has spoken all offseason about being a better leader.

Additionally, plenty of players and coaches have spoken about Brooks and Brewer stepping up as leaders this offseason.

Brooks was involved in a scuffle with fellow linebacker Tyrel Dodson during the team’s joint practice against the Bears. In his eyes, Brooks was trying to hold Dodson accountable for not matching Chicago’s physicality.

No matter where you come down on how both teams handled that practice, that’s the type of mentality you want your captains to have.

Sieler is a player who mostly leads by example. He’s got a tremendous story about going in the seventh round, getting cut by the Ravens, and turning himself into one of the game’s better interior defenders.

Sieler actually represents the Dolphins’ attempted culture change this season quite well. He’s the only player to receive an extension this offseason, as the team decided not to extend someone like tight end Jonnu Smith.

That’s not to say that Smith was an issue in the locker room, but he wasn’t a homegrown talent like Sieler.

Team culture can be difficult to quantify, especially from outside the locker room. However, it’s pretty clear the Dolphins needed to make some changes, and that is reflected in these choices for captains.

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