Coming into Sunday's game against New York, Miami needed a win over the Jets and a win by the Kansas City Chiefs' third-stringers against the Denver Broncos to make the playoffs. Well, the Broncos won 38-0, and the Dolphins lost to the Jets, 32-10. So no, those things absolutely did not happen.
And just like that — the streak of not winning a playoff game since 2000 continues.
With the dream of witnessing another backup quarterback lose a frigid postseason game in Buffalo having died, the Dolphins have a multitude of crucial issues to address — and the playoffs haven't even begun.
Below are five major questions Miami's top brass must answer, and fast.
There have been rumors going around the #NFL that #Dolphins Chris Grier could retire after the 2024 season and move to a senior advisor role, per @jjones9
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) January 4, 2025
(h/t: @FinsXtra) pic.twitter.com/PBE3zA53zM
1. Will GM Chris Grier and/or Head Coach Mike McDaniel Return?
Almost as soon as your humble columnist typed the question above, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross answered it in the affirmative, and emphatically. (I'm kinda on a roll with this sort of phenomenon, it would seem.)"As we now look towards 2025, our football operation will continue to be led by Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel with my full support," Ross said in a statement the Dolphins posted to the platform formerly known as Twitter at 9:30 on Sunday evening. "Their positive working relationship is an asset to the Dolphins, and I believe in the value of stability."
Well, maybe not totally emphatically.
"However, continuity in leadership is not to be confused with an acceptance that status quo is good enough," Ross elaborated. "We will take a hard look at where we have fallen short and make the necessary changes to deliver our ultimate goal of building and sustaining a winning team that competes for championships."
Nothing is more soothing to a long-suffering Dolphins fan's soul than the ol' "ultimate goal,” eh?
Tua Tagovailoa has been extremely efficient passing the football after avoiding a sack. This was a point of emphasis of his after losing weight this offseason. #finsup
— Matt Newton (@MattNewtonNFL) November 22, 2024
(via @PattonAnalytics) pic.twitter.com/PPXopXT5Jb
2. What's the Theme of Tua Tagovailoa's Offseason This Time?
From recovering after major surgeries and concussion scares to bulking up, then slimming down to taking martial-arts classes that help him learn how to fall more successfully, Tua has seemingly never had a normal offseason where he is simply betting on the version of himself he was in the one just completed. The question is, will this finally be the offseason when Tua, fresh off a new contract and (relatively) healthy, will allow him to build on a foundation he set, as opposed to having to completely tear down what he built up the previous summer?Whatever Tua works on this offseason and whatever his body type is to be, he must settle on something so that when he shows up to training camp next season, everyone isn't shocked by some Ozempic body makeover or new throwing motion.
Tee Higgins, Sam Darnold, Chris Godwin, Jevon Holland, and Najee Harris headline the 2025 free-agent class💸
— Football Forever (@fballforeverhq) December 19, 2024
There will be plenty of movement around the league this offseason👀 pic.twitter.com/PU5hI6GW4c
3. Is Jevon Holland Next to Get Paid?
Coming into the season, it was assumed Jevon Holland would, at this point in the year, be an All-Pro-caliber safety on the verge of a massive payday. After a disappointing season, it's unclear if Holland will demand the same money he was thought to be in line to receive, or that the Dolphins, already in salary cap hell, will be interested in making an offer.From Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle to Zach Siler and Jalen Ramsey, the Dolphins have an insane amount of money invested in their current team. Like any franchise that pays out big bucks to keep its stars, eventually, it comes time to pay that bill by letting others go. That's why Christian Wilkins and Robert Hunt are now former Dolphins, and why Holland has likely played his last game in Miami.
“I’m out bro.”
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 6, 2025
Tyreek Hill on his future with Dolphins 😳
(via @OmarKelly, @MiamiHerald) pic.twitter.com/uupakWk7Vb
4. Does a Tyreek Hill Trade Make Sense?
"I'm out, bro." Those were the words of Tyreek Hill when asked about his thoughts on the just-concluded season and his future on the team. Unlike with the Heat's Jimmy Butler, nobody expected his answer to amount to demanding a trade.The immediate question is whether Hill and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, made good on this threat or if this was all about postgame emotions. If he's truly putting the ball in the Dolphin's court, a trade before the NFL Draft in late April is likely, and a return of next-to-nothing is even likelier due to the contract extension Hill just signed in 2024.
The bottom line is this — now that it is clear McDaniel is returning, the answer to whether Hill should come back is seemingly moot: McDaniel should be given one more season with the core pieces he and Grier chose, not a mix-and-match new roster to discover.
That said, if the Dolphins end up in rebuild mode this offseason, Hill is the first part to go in the going-out-of-business sale. There will be plenty of interest, and the salary cap relief would be a rebuilding jolt.
Tyreek is an excellent player, but the cost of his services hampers the construction of the rest of the team. That tradeoff was worth it when Hill was an All-Pro, but not so much if his 2024 season is the new norm.
Dolphins bringing back Tyler Huntley for 2025? @nic_rohloff pic.twitter.com/EqWlSE1BY3
— Chat Sports (@ChatSports) December 30, 2024
5. Who's the Backup Quarterback?
Usually, settling on a backup quarterback should not be a pressing question heading into the offseason. Unfortunately, the Dolphins are anything but a normal team.Heading into this offseason, the Dolphins absolutely must bring in outside insurance for the inevitability of Tua missing games. Whether it happens early in the campaign (as was the case this year) or late (as was the case this year), you can pretty much count on Tua sitting out two to four games. That means the Dolphins must be equipped with a backup who's more than merely capable.
That's not Tyler Huntley, and Jameis Winston might not even cut it. The Dolphins need a significant upgrade at the backup quarterback position in 2025.
