What to Know About and How to Watch the Miami Dolphins Preseason

The Miami Dolphins kick off their preseason schedule against the Washington Commanders on Friday night

Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis (2) throws the football during practice at Hard Rock Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Miami Dolphins' 2026 preseason schedule kicks off Friday night against the Washington Commanders before coming back to South Florida for the rest of the preseason.

The game against Washington will be televised live in the South Florida and Washington markets, and replayed on NFL Network on Tuesday at noon ET.

The Dolphins will have one live national television preseason, that one scheduled for Saturday, August 22 against the New York Giants at Hard Rock Stadium at 4 p.m. ET. That game will come two days after the teams conduct a joint practice.

The preseason finale will be Friday, August 28 against the Atlanta Falcons at Hard Rock Stadium at 7 p.m. ET. That game will be replayed on NFL Network.

By comparison, the Dolphins had two preseason games on live national TV last year, against the Chicago Bears and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Dolphins finished 2-0-1 in the preseason last year, tying with the Bears before defeating the Lions and Jaguars.

THE PRESEASON MATCHUPS

The Dolphins are 10-5 all time against the Commanders in the preseason and will be meeting for the second time in three years. Miami won 13-6 in 2024 after the teams conducted a joint practice before, just like the teams did this year. Washington is looking to rebound from a 5-12 season that followed their surprising run to the NFC Championship Game in that 2024 season, and feature some noteworthy newcomers, including former Dolphins cornerback Rasul Douglas.

The Dolphins have a perfect 7-0 preseason record against the Giants, though the teams haven't faced each other since 2016. The big story with New York in 2026 was the start of a new era under head coach John Harbaugh, who was hired after his long tenure with the Baltimore Ravens came to an end. The newcomer to watch just might be first-round pick Francis Mauigoa, the guard from the University of Miami who was considered a potential Dolphins target before he was selected 10th overall.

The matchup with the Falcons will be the teams' 22nd in the preseason, making Atlanta the second-most common opponent behind only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (which obviously makes geographical sense).

The Dolphins are 12-9 against Atlanta in the preseason, including a 20-13 victory at Hard Rock Stadium in the last meeting in 2024.

The big story in this matchup revolves around quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and whether he will play at the stadium he called home the past six years. Tagovailoa is battling for the starting quarterback position with incument Michael Penix Jr., who has yet to receive full medical clearance coming back from a knee injury.

Along with Tagovailoa, former Dolphins players currently on the Atlanta roster include punter Jake Bailey, defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand and linebacker Channing Tindall.