The Miami Dolphins went through a full-blown rebuild this offseason, changing almost everything from their general manager and head coach to their quarterback. While former head coach Jimmy Johnson questioned what the franchise has achieved with such changes over the past two decades, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin supports the direction Miami is taking.
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“I do like the way Miami is going about this rebuild. We can talk a lot about Miami’s not going to do well this year, with Malik Willis down there, but what they’ve done was bring a lot of harmony,” Irvin said on Netflix’s White House series, via Michael Irvin Pod on Instagram.
This offseason, Miami parted ways with several of its star players, including quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, wide receiver Tyreek Hill, linebacker Bradley Chubb, and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. The franchise also hired a new general manager, Jon-Eric Sullivan, head coach Jeff Hafley, and quarterback Malik Willis.
The reason for this rebuild came from how miserable the Dolphins had become in the last few seasons. Under former head coach Mike McDaniel and Tagovailoa at center, the Dolphins had just two winning seasons in four years. Last season, they started with three straight losses, while Tagovailoa ranked second in the league in interceptions with 15.
Hall of Famer Irvin believes this was a humbling experience for Miami. In his view, the rebuild could help the Dolphins return to their former identity by focusing more on football and less on the spotlight.
“Let me tell you what else you lost that went on in Miami. A lot of rigmarole. Tyreek Hill was running the whole organization. He was running everything. So, they wanted to clean all that up and clean it out and get it back,” Irvin added.
However, even after all these moves, Johnson questioned the Dolphins’ coaching staff for not doing enough since Dave Wannstedt stepped down in 2004.
“Dave was the last coach to win a playoff game with the Dolphins and had a winning record with the Dolphins…what have all the coaches done in the last 25 years?” Johnson wrote on X.
The problem is that this rebuild looks eerily similar to Miami’s post-2004 reset. Wannstedt stepped down midway through the season after the Dolphins started 1-8, and Miami suffered its first losing season since 1988. The franchise then hired Nick Saban, moved on from the Jay Fiedler and A.J. Feeley era, and signed veteran quarterback Gus Frerotte.
The following seasons did not produce the desired results. The team finished the 2005 season with a 9-7 record, but missed the postseason entirely.
That history is why Johnson’s criticism carries weight.
While Irvin sees the changes as necessary, Johnson feels the Dolphins have attempted several resets without finding sustained success. Their current plan is different in terms of leadership and roster construction, but the uncertainty surrounding a new quarterback and a young team remains familiar.