– Season swing: started 1-7, then flipped to win five of six, climbed back—only to drop a 28-15 Monday Night Football decision to the Steelers that crushed playoff hopes 📊.
– QB shake-up: Miami benched Tua Tagovailoa and rolled with seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers. The late push gave a glimpse of a new direction, going 1-2 in the final trio of games that felt more preseason than playoff-ready.
– Minkah Fitzpatrick in the spotlight: the All-Pro safety suffered a calf injury vs. Pittsburgh and didn’t play the last three games. He was a bright spot all year, finishing with an 81.8 PFF grade (8th-best safety) and delivering a game-clinching interception against New Orleans on a two-point try 🛡️.
– Contract and trade chatter: Fitzpatrick’s $18 million cap hit in 2026 is the spicy pivot. The Dolphins reworked his deal to shift base salary into a bonus to ease 2025, and a post-June 1 cut could save about $15 million with no guaranteed money left. With that cap math and no guaranteed money, a trade becomes highly plausible—most likely landing a late-round pick for the veteran safety 🔄📊.
Bottom line: a year of dramatic ups and downs, a bold QB pivot, and a real shot of turnover on the roster as Miami looks to reshape the roster with cap room and potential trades in mind 🏈⚡.
