Breaking Down National Media Grades on the Dolphins' Jeff Hafley Hiring

The Miami Dolphins desperately needed a change after missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, but only time will tell if it was for the better.

When the dust settled on a head coaching cycle that included 10 openings, Miami landed on Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as the 12th head coach in franchise history.

Instead of choosing a former NFL head coach like John Harbaugh or Kevin Stefanski, the Dolphins opted for a first-time NFL head coach, betting that Hafley’s leadership and defensive background can help steady a franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game in over 25 years.

While there wasn’t a national outlet that loved the addition of Hafley, there also weren’t any that hated the move. SB Nation, Yahoo Sports, and The Draft Network were cautiously optimistic, giving the hire a B, while USA Today was the lowest with a C-.

Overall, based on grades from 10 analysts, the Dolphins finished this coaching cycle with a 2.4 grade point average.

REPORT CARD ON HAFLEY HIRED AS MIAMI DOLPHINS HEAD COACH

Sports Illustrated (Connor Orr): C

Analysis: These last two coaches suffer from my inability to separate their hires from the organizations’ decisions to create a vacancy in the first place, or generally the organizations’ decisions to hire a certain type of candidate, despite where they are from a roster standpoint. I hope that those taking in one small snippet of this article can broaden their attention spans enough to realize that all of these coaches are deserving, but some of them may be getting shoehorned into a round hole despite their four perfectly symmetrical corners.

Hafley will bring a CEO mentality to the fold, and it’s clear when hearing him talk that he serves as a kind of oratory counterpoint to his predecessor, McDaniel. Having been a skilled college head coach, I think he’ll connect with players in a different way, but could end up being more successful in holding them accountable. My concerns are twofold: One is that the Packers’ defense fell apart in the absence of Micah Parsons, posting the 28th-best EPA per play allowed in the NFL.

Against playoff or borderline playoff teams in 2025, the Packers held only the pre-coordinator-change Lions and pre-coordinator-change Eagles to fewer than 20 points.

The C grade feels harsh, but this is mainly because the Dolphins missed the chance to capitalize on another one of my favorite coaching maneuvers: When hiring a new general manager, allow that GM a season to work with the existing coaching staff if there is upside. Jon-Eric Sullivan comes from an organization skilled at feeding players into a system mastered by Matt LaFleur and adjacent to the system run by McDaniel. I would have liked to see the pair collaborate with a quarterback other than Tua Tagovailoa before deciding to part ways.

Instead, there is a good chance McDaniel will be a Tier 1 head coaching candidate next year. Why allow that candidate to leave the building?

Fox Sports (Ralph Vacchiano): C

Analysis: The Dolphins tried the offensive whiz kid route with Mike McDaniel, and the results were just OK. But it too often appeared that leadership was lacking in that locker room. It’s why they needed to pivot to a "CEO" type of coach.

And that fits Hafley, who has experience running a program from his four years as the head coach at Boston College. Unfortunately, he had a pretty mediocre run there, with an overall record of 22-26 and one trip to a minor bowl. College coaches also don’t often translate well to the pros, either, though Hafley has spent nine years as an NFL assistant.

He did his best work the past two seasons as the defensive coordinator in Green Bay, where he helped turn the Packers’ defense into a championship-caliber unit. But it’s his leadership that will likely define his tenure in Miami, not his defensive scheme.

CBS Sports (Tyler Sullivan): C+

Analysis: When Miami hired former Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan as its next general manager, the writing was on the wall that the Dolphins would keep that Green Bay pipeline flowing with the hiring of Jeff Hafley.

This move leans into what made Miami feisty down the stretch, as it went 6-4 over its final 10 games thanks in part to improved defensive play. The Dolphins allowed 21.9 points per game over that span after surrendering 29.3 points per game in the seven games prior. With Hafley's bread and butter on defense, that unit should remain a strength in 2026.

Under Hafley, Green Bay allowed 20.5 points per game, 5.1 yards per play, and 108.5 rushing yards per game over the last two seasons -- all top-10 marks in the NFL. Hafley's group did stumble a bit down the stretch of the 2025 campaign, however.

The bigger concern as Hafley ascends to head coach, despite his experience at the college level (he led Boston College from 2020 to 2023), comes on the offensive side of the ball. Miami appears poised to part ways with Tua Tagovailoa this offseason, and given the team's cap constraints, there's no clear path to a suitable replacement.

With Hafley not coming from an offensive background, he may not be able to mask those deficiencies as effectively as a coach with more experience on that side of the ball. That could result in a lean 2026 for the franchise.

SB Nation (Mark Schofield and James Dator): B

Analysis: Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has been one of the hottest names during this hiring cycle — he underwent interviews with seven teams and was set for a second round with both the Dolphins and the Titans — has agreed to become the next coach of the Dolphins. This sets up a reunion of sorts with incoming general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, as the two shared time in Green Bay.

The excitement around Hafley this cycle is one reason for optimism in Miami, and the fact that Hafley built a strong defense in Green Bay is another. Then there is the fact that after parting ways with Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins have engineered the common coaching flip: Move to the other side of the football with the next hire.

However, there is also reason for skepticism. This is Hafley’s first NFL head coaching job, and he went 22-26 as the head coach at Boston College. And while he did build a strong defense in Green Bay, he also had several first-round picks along the defensive front at his disposal, including Micah Parsons, after the team traded for him ahead of the 2025 season.

So, cautious optimism might be the best way to feel about this.

USA Today (Christian D’Andrea and Cory Woodroof): C-

Analysis: Well, the Dolphins didn't wait around for their top choice to get sniped, assuming they weren't in on Kevin Stefanski or John Harbaugh. Miami leapt at the chance to hire 2026's first non-retread head coach after landing on Hafley.

It's a curious choice and a stark departure from the offensive-minded Mike McDaniel. Hafley spent the last two seasons building a respectable Green Bay defense, but his success has been fleeting. The Packers ranked only 16th in the NFL when it came to expected points added (EPA) allowed with Micah Parsons on the field. After losing him in Week 15, that number crashed to 26th, and Green Bay finished the year on a five-game skid.

The Dolphins don't have the raw defensive talent the Packers did. They may also wind up eating a record $99 million in dead salary cap space to separate themselves from Tua Tagovailoa, which will limit their room to improve in the immediate future.

Hafley will have to prove himself a builder -- something he did to modest success in four seasons at Boston College (22-26 with three bowl-eligible campaigns). His blitz-averse defenses make sense given Miami's lack of stars in the secondary, and hitting on the right quarterback in the draft could spur a Denver Broncos-esque turnaround.

But Hafley's resume has a fraction of Sean Payton's success. The 2026 NFL Draft doesn't seem to have a Bo Nix waiting for the Dolphins at the 11th overall pick. This is a big risk -- and one Miami jumped into with both feet.

Yahoo Sports (Frank Schwab): B

Analysis: Considering the pitfalls of the Dolphins' job, Miami did fine in landing Hafley, who was a hot name after two good seasons as the Green Bay Packers’ defensive coordinator. Hafley steps into a tough situation, with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s time in Miami likely done and a massive dead salary cap hit in his wake if he’s let go. There are other issues with the roster, too.

Reuniting with new Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, who had been the Packers’ vice president of player personnel, had to be a big draw. Hafley has some head-coaching experience, albeit in college at Boston College for four years. That should help him with what might be a rough transition season or two as the Dolphins start to build back up.

The Big Lead (Lou Landers): B -

Analysis: Jeff Hafley, fresh off coordinating the Packers’ defense and with prior Boston College head-coaching experience, becomes Miami’s new leader. The Dolphins will shift toward a defensive-first identity, hoping to stabilize a talented but inconsistent roster.

Bleacher Report (Staff): C+

Analysis: Jeff Hafley bet on himself by leaving a Power Four head coaching gig to become an NFL defensive coordinator, which created a pathway to become the Miami Dolphins head coach, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Less than three years ago, Hafley was still leading the Boston College Eagles program. He then chose to jump ship for the Green Bay Packers. At the time, Hafley stated the opportunity to join that particular franchise and coaching staff was the right move.

Hafley did an excellent job coordinating the Packers defense after the unit struggled previously under Joe Barry's direction. This season, Hafley's unit finished Top 12 in total and scoring defense. A year prior, the group ranked fifth and sixth, respectively. Hafley now takes over a depleted Dolphins squad that finished bottom 11 in those same categories.

The Dolphins' latest hire also brings previous working experience with the franchise's new general manager, Jon-Eric Sullivan, who spent the past 21 years in Green Bay's front office.

Miami decided to act quickly despite the Buffalo Bills' surprise decision to fire Sean McDermott hours earlier. According to Pelissero, Hafley "blew everyone away" during his initial interview. Plus, the Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders, and Arizona Cardinals were all interested in the candidate.

Considering Hafley's previous head coaching experience, ties to Miami's general manager, history working with top-notch coaches, and a strong defensive resume, his hire makes complete sense. Though he faces a major obstacle when it comes to having no obvious plan at quarterback or a history of developing one. Miami's identity will need to be on defense until a competent QB1 is found.

The Draft Network (Justin Melo): B

Analysis: Jeff Hafley became the overwhelming favorite candidate for the Miami Dolphins once Jon-Eric Sullivan won the general manager opening. Hafley coordinated an excellent Green Bay Packers defense this past season and has previous head coaching experience at Boston College.

This roster needs a makeover, but the duo leading Miami into a new era is a promising pair on paper.

Pro Football Network (Jacob Infante): C

Analysis: It was smart of the Dolphins to make a defensive-minded hire, especially considering they had one of the least efficient defenses in the NFL this season. Having an experienced mind like Hafley should help get them back on track. They have some talented pass rushers on their roster, and a better defensive coaching staff in place should help them.

Despite having the right approach, Hafley might not be the home-run hire the Giants made with John Harbaugh or the Falcons made with Kevin Stefanski. In each of the last two seasons, the Packers fell short of top-ten rankings in PFSN’s Defense Impact scoring.

They actually regressed in 2025, falling from a 78.7 score in 2024 to a 74.4 score this season. Part of that decrease was their missing Micah Parsons over the last few games, but that’s not the greatest look for a head-coaching hire. His record as a head coach at Boston College wasn’t particularly impressive, either.

As far as first-time NFL head coaches go, Hafley is undoubtedly ahead of the curve because of his time leading Boston College before his stint in Green Bay. As far as defensive-minded head coaches go, however, the likes of Jesse Minter, Chris Shula, and Vance Joseph are among those whose defenders outperformed the Packers’ unit this season. It would’ve been beneficial to check in on the newly fired Sean McDermott, too.

Hafley’s earlier experience as a defensive backs coach should help a Miami secondary that’s pretty bare bones heading into the 2026 offseason. He should definitely help them get better on defense, but they also face an uphill battle moving on from Tua Tagovailoa and rebuilding an offense that’s fallen from grace in recent seasons.

Don’t expect the Dolphins to excel right out of the gate; this is a process that should take some time. It’s up to Miami’s front office to give their new head coach the patience that he deserves.

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