There was apparently a fight over Sean Duggan.
No, it was nothing physical – more so a war of words as newly minted Miami Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley debated with his Green Bay Packers counterpart Matt LaFleur about who got to keep Duggan. In the end, Hafley won – he, after all, brought Duggan to Green Bay and has worked with him for the last seven years – yet one question remains: what will Miami’s defense look like?
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The Dolphins introduced Duggan as defensive coordinator on Wednesday, a move that makes the 32-year-old one of the youngest in the NFL at his position. Duggan’s rise to defensive coordinator has been quick – this will be just his third NFL gig – but his football acumen cannot be discounted. With the offensive firepower in the league at an all-time high, Duggan wants to build a unit that can not only compete in a division with the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen and the Super Bowl-bound New England but also remains as unpredictable as possible.
“We want to be multiple, and we want to fit to the strength of our players,” Duggan said of he and Hafley’s defensive scheme. “We want those guys to go out and play fast, know what they’re doing and just play a 100 miles per hour.”
Added Duggan: “You got to be multiple in this league and present different looks to the offense, or it will potentially be a long day.”
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Ask Hafley about Duggan and he brags like a proud father.
“He’s one of the smartest football coaches you’ll be around,” Hafley said Wednesday afternoon. “He’s really sharp in how fast he can process, and he’s an unbelievable person and relates to all the players.”
Despite his youth, Duggan actually has been a defensive coordinator before back during his days with Hafley at Boston College. What he learned from that experience somewhat feeds into his defensive philosophy.
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“You got to be adaptable at all times,” Duggan said. “You can’t just say ‘Hey, this is our playbook. This is what we’re going to do.’ You got to play to our players’ strengths. Figure out what each guy can do and put them in a position to showcase what they can do.”
That would mean the duo’s time in Green Bay could provide some insight into what the defense will look like. Hafley, after all, will handle the defensive play calls. The Packers, for example, used a lot of sets that featured four defensive linemen with their hand in the dirt over the course of the 2025 season.
Even then, Duggan wouldn’t commit to that same play style.
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“It’s good against a lot of different run games,” Duggan said. “You got to have the ability to change that and not give the same presentation every play.”
The same can be said of a reliance on press coverage. For Duggan, it’s all about the circumstances and how his players match up against the opponent in question.
“If it’s third-and-two or third-and-one, we don’t want to be seven yards off the ball,” Duggan said, emphasizing that everything is based on “the situation.”
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“It’s based on the call, it’s based on which receiver you’re going against, studying your opponent to the root,” Duggan added. “Does this guy struggle a little more with press or is he a guy that can get around that and create space between you and him? There are a lot of elements to that.”
The Dolphins have their fair share of viable pieces in defensive tackle Zach Sieler, linebacker Jordyn Brooks and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. They also have several young guys like edge rusher Chop Robinson and defensive tackles Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers who have yet to reach their full potential. And while it’s way too early to predict the quality of the 2026 defense, one thing is for sure: it will be up to Hafley and Duggan to not just maximize the talent already on the roster but also add guys who fit their scheme. It won’t be until April that becomes clear.
“Obviously he has a vision of what he wants,” Duggan said of Hafley. In turn, he described his job rather simply. “Taking that vision and making our defense that.”