Five Biggest Reasons for Optimism for Dolphins Heading into 2025 Regular Season

The Miami Dolphins are looking to return to the playoffs

Miami Dolphins linebacker Chop Robinson (44) walks on the field during training camp at Baptist Health Training Complex. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The start of the 2025 NFL regular season is about a week away, and the outlook for the Miami Dolphins isn't overwhelmingly positive if we are to believe a lot of national pundits.

But let's not forget this is a team that made the playoffs in both 2022 and 2023 and was in contention on the final Sunday of the 2024 season despite missing its starting quarterbacks for more than a third of the games.

So this notion that the Dolphins head into the 2025 season with little chance at success seems massively overblown.

There clearly are reasons to be optimistic that the Dolphins can rebound from their 8-9 finish and return to the playoffs for a third time in Mike McDaniel's fourth year as head coach.

Here then are the five biggest reasons for optimism for the Dolphins in 2025:

1. A POTENTIAL POTENT PASS RUSH

The Dolphins already had the makings of a very good, if not elite, pass-rushing group with Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb and Chop Robinson, but they added veteran Matthew Judon for good measure. The defense actually could do a rotation with two of them at the same time to keep them fresh (and give them a better chance of staying healthy). It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand what a forecious pass rush could do for the entire defense, and that's the hope for what happens with Miami in 2025.

2. SPEED, SPEED, SPEED

There are question marks on offense heading into the season for sure, but what can't be questioned is the speed at the skill positions, which means the potential for explosive plays. While the Dolphins didn't generate many of those (or at least not enough of those) in 2024, it doesn't change the fact that Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and De'Von Achane still represent perhaps the fastest trio in the NFL, and it gives the Miami the ability (or at least potential) to go back to that high-octane it had in 2023.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) warms up before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium in the preseason. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

3. THE LAW OF INJURY AVERAGES

Yes, we included this as a reason for optimism last year as well, but it remains relevant again this year. Yes, the Dolphins had their share of injuries in training camp, but they should have most of their front-line players available for the start of the regular season. And maybe this is the year where the Dolphins are able to avoid significant injuries, particularly to QB Tua Tagovailoa, throughout the regular season. It's particularly important for a team that has suspect depth.

4. CHANGING OF THE GUARD

The running game let down the Dolphins in 2024 after it produced very good results the previous season, and one major reason for that was the sub-par performance of the starting guards. It's why the Dolphins made it a point to upgrade the position in the offseason with their most expensive free agent acquisition (former Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers starter James Daniels) and their second pick of the 2025 draft (Jonah Savaiinaea). If those two deliver as hoped, there's every reason to believe the running game can be effective, and that obviously would open things up for the passing game.

Miami Dolphins rookie Jonah Savaiinaea | Alain Poupart - Miami Dolphins On SI

5. SPECIAL TEAMS SURGE

This might not seem like a big deal to some, but the margin between winning and losing is small enough in the NFL that good special teams play can mean an extra win or two during the regular season, and that can make the difference between making or missing the playoffs. It's no state secret that the Dolphins special teams were mediocre to bad the past few seasons, but there practically was nothing but positive results throughout the preseason, both in the return game, in coverage and with Jake Bailey's punting. Now, Jason Sanders' hip injury is a bummer and can be a concern, but overall the special teams outlook is pretty encouraging heading into the regular season.