The opener now has a quarterback matchup
Malik Willis leads Miami into Las Vegas on September 13. The Raiders named Kirk Cousins their Week 1 starter on September 2; kickoff is 4:25 p.m. ET on FOX.
Raiders · September 2
2026 · Week 1
Miami Dolphins intelligence
Week 1 · On the road
It starts in Las Vegas.
A new Dolphins season begins in Las Vegas. Now the work counts.
Week 1FOX
Away
MIA
Dolphins
@
Home
LV
Las Vegas Raiders
Sunday, Sep 13, 4:25 PM EDT
Allegiant Stadium
Record
0–0
Active
53
Schedule
#2
- all-time record
- 511–418–4
- regular-season games
- 933
- seasons measured
- 60
- player profiles
- 271
Leading Miami
2026 team captains
Six players selected to lead the Dolphins this season.
#2 · QB
Malik Willis#28 · RB
De'Von Achane#55 · C
Aaron Brewer#52 · OT
Patrick Paul#92 · DT
Zach Sieler#20 · LB
Jordyn Brooks
Start with a question
Go straight to the answer
Four fast ways into the archive, the current roster, and franchise history.
The stories to follow
Through September 7, 2026
Six captains for the opener
Miami named Malik Willis, De'Von Achane, Aaron Brewer, Patrick Paul, Zach Sieler and Jordyn Brooks its 2026 team captains. Willis, Achane and Paul are first-time captains.
Dolphins · September 7The 53 is set; the depth keeps moving
Miami has 53 active players and 16 on the practice squad. The September additions include Mazi Smith and Clelin Ferrell; Ethan Bonner and Max Llewellyn returned after final cuts.
Dolphins · roster and transactionsRight now
The 2026 reset
A first-year head coach, a new quarterback, a young roster, and the league's most unusual cap sheet.
Season outlook
The focus shifts to Las Vegas
Miami opens at Las Vegas on September 13 against Kirk Cousins, then travels to San Francisco before the home opener against Kansas City. The first five weeks include three road games, followed by a Week 6 bye. The regular-season record is still 0–0; the 0–3 preseason is separate.
- Win line
- 4.5
- Rookies
- 13
- Dead cap
- 60.3%
- Cap space
- $6.7M
Published August 17, 2026
Roster Moves
RosterThe latest transactions of the Hafley rebuild.
- CUTCarter WarrenSep 3
- SignLiam AndersonSep 1
- SignClelin FerrellSep 1
- SignAmari GainerSep 1
- SignJordan MillerSep 1
The 2026 Cap Situation
As of September 7, 2026 (provisional post-cutdown update)
The offseason teardown left 60.3% of the salary cap paying players who are no longer on the roster — more than the active roster itself costs.
- Dead money
- $181.6M
- Active roster (top 51)
- $107.5M
- Cap space
- $6.7M
- Dead vs active
- 1.69×
60.3% of the cap
35.7% of the cap
against a $301.2M cap
paid to players who left
- Dead money
- Active roster
- Space & remainder
Biggest dead-money charges
- Tua Tagovailoa$55.4M
Released March 2026; signed with Atlanta
- Tyreek Hill$28.2M
Released February 16, 2026 (failed physical)
- Jaylen Waddle$23.2M
Traded to Denver for 1st/3rd/4th-round picks
- Jalen Ramsey$20.9M
2025 trade to Pittsburgh — residual proration
Biggest active cap hits
- Zach SielerDL$11.4M
- Austin JacksonT$6.9M
- Jordyn BrooksILB$6.2M
- Malik WillisQB$5.7M
The scale of it Tua Tagovailoa's $55.4M charge is 4.9× the largest cap hit on the current roster, and 18.4% of the cap on its own.
AFC East
2025 final- 1New England Patriots14–3
- 2Buffalo Bills12–5
- 3Miami Dolphins7–10
- 4New York Jets3–14
A Moment in History
1983
The Dolphins draft Dan Marino 27th overall — the steal that reshaped the franchise.
Roster Composition
Position balance across the active roster, practice squad and reserve lists.
Full roster analytics
Milestone Radar
Current totals through the 2025 regular season.
- Chop Robinson4 to go
tie Daryl Gardener's Miami total
11 / 15 sacks
- De'Von Achane28 to go
reach 200 receptions with Miami
172 / 200 receptions
- De'Von Achane486 to go
pass Tony Nathan on Miami's career list
3,057 / 3,543 rushing yards
The long view
Explore six decades
Records, eras, player archives, and the stories behind the numbers.
Analytics
Explore933 games and 60 seasons measured across every opponent, quarterback, draft, and regime.
Franchise
OverviewThe newest chapters in a timeline that starts in 1966.
- 2026The Hafley–Sullivan era
- 2025The reset begins
- 2023Record-setting offense
Players
OverviewEight position archives. One franchise legend at a time.
Guess the Player
Quarterbacks·1983–1999·Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- 61,361 passing yards
- 420 passing touchdowns
- 242 games in Miami
- 9× Pro Bowl
Five quarterbacks went ahead of him in the 1983 draft. He threw for more yards than all five combined, and held the passing record for a decade after retiring.
Fantasy Insights
Best in datasetThe biggest fantasy season in Dolphins history (PPR):
All fantasy analyticsWhat's moving
Newsroom
ESPN NFL
Raiders get boost as RB Jeanty returns to practice
Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty returned to practice Wednesday, providing optimism about his availability for Sunday's opener against the Dolphins.
Read at ESPN NFLDolphins.com
Transcript: HC Jeff Hafley Press Conference - September 9
Read the full transcript from HC Jeff Hafley 's postgame media availability on September 9, 2026.
Read at Dolphins.comYahoo Sports NFL
'I don't have anything to prove': Tua Tagovailoa gets a second shot as a starting QB
Tagovailoa has heard from the critics. Now it's finally time for him to rewrite the ugly ending in Miami.
Read at Yahoo Sports NFL