Miami’s preseason opener came with a real teaching moment for one of its young running backs. Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley pulled running back Ollie Gordon II off the field Friday night after Gordon flipped the ball at a Washington Commanders defender following a play, and Hafley made sure the message landed.
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“When I pulled him out, I’m not going to tell you exactly what I said, but it was a chance for me to look him in the eye and let him know that was not OK. I had to take him out and he had to learn his lesson,” Hafley said, per the Miami Herald.
“If you are going to have a standard, there has to be consequences. Our standard is we’re not going to do things to put our team in jeopardy and have post-snap fouls where we toss a ball at a guy.”
Gordon got a chance to get some reps in the preseason clash against the Commanders. He recorded 7 carries for 39 yards before being taken out, and was successful in breaking tackles, finding room in open space throughout the game. That included a 13-yard gain, where he outplayed Commanders defensive back Car’lin Vigers. But his play was ruined after he drew an unsportsmanlike conduct flag for the tossed ball at a Commanders player.
This was not Gordon’s first experience with penalties as an NFL player. He was flagged twice during his 2025 rookie season, including a false start and a 15-yard tripping penalty. None of those incidents, however, resulted in Hafley taking him off the field during a game.
That history makes Hafley’s response worth watching as Gordon enters his second season. Miami is counting on the young running back to remain part of its backfield behind De’Von Achane, and Gordon’s rookie season gave Miami some reasons to keep developing him, even though his workload was modest. He appeared in all 17 games, carrying 70 times for 199 yards and three touchdowns. He also had seven receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown.
For Gordon, the message from his coach is fairly simple. The Dolphins want his physical ability and competitiveness to become positives for the team, not reasons for avoidable penalties or distractions. Hafley made that standard clear against Washington, and Gordon’s response over the rest of the preseason will show whether the lesson sticks.