The Miami Dolphins are hoping that the combination of Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley can produce a winning team. So far, the moves have been relatively minor, but that will soon change.
Miami’s roster overhaul is about to begin, with the NFL’s 2025 season officially over, all 32 teams reset to zero, and the off-season underway. This year, Sullivan will have a lot of decisions to make; he won’t have to wait long.
The NFL offseason schedule has been released, and that will give the Dolphins staff a timeframe to get to work.
Miami Dolphins roster rebuild is incoming now that the season is finally over and focus turns to 2026
With a new head coach, the Dolphins will be able to get to work earlier than teams that did not change their head coach this cycle. Here are the important dates that fans can add to their calendars.
Franchise tag designations
Sullivan’s work will start on February 17th and run through March 3rd. This is the first day that teams can use the franchise tag. Miami won’t use it this year, as they are not in a position to throw a lot of money on a specific player.
The impending free agents also do not include players who warrant the tag. Of the 34 players scheduled to hit the market, most were on one-year deals, and none of them are prized free agents.
NFL Scouting Combine
On February 23rd, the real work will begin for the Dolphins. The combine isn’t just for evaluating talent. The week-long event will provide Sullivan an opportunity to discuss potential trades of players who are not impending FAs.
In addition, it has been common practice for agents to use the time to drop hints to potential FAs about properties that will hit the market. This will give teams a chance to determine what kind of contracts players might be looking for. Miami isn’t expected to be heavily involved in adding free agents this year, at least not tier one players.
Free agency tampering
This year, teams can start negotiating contracts on March 9th. There will be a short window between the combine and the start of the free agency period. Teams can negotiate deals, but they cannot meet face-to-face with players during the three-day window.
Free agency’s official start
On March 11th, trades and new contracts will become official as the NFL enters the 2026 business year. At 4:00 p.m., all deals made prior to the three-day window will become official. While uncommon, a team can agree to terms on a free-agent contract, but the player can back out of the deal until 4:00 on the 11th.
Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill
It is anticipated that a decision will be made on both Hill and Tagovailoa prior to the March 11th start to the league’s new year, but March 13th is the date to watch. Both players will receive more guaranteed money if they are on the roster on that date. Hill will get a $16 million guarantee while Tagovailoa will get a $3 million conversion.
Annual league meeting
Sullivan will be a busy man as he will most assuredly attend the annual league meetings in Phoenix this year. The event will run from March 29th to April 1st. This may be Sullivan’s first opportunity to start doing real work on making trades. In the past, teams have often done the groundwork for potential draft-day moves that are not done at the start of free agency.
Offseason workouts
Because the Dolphins hired a new head coach, April 6th is the first day Miami can begin holding workouts at the facility. This is not on-field padded practices, but instead class work and conditioning. It will be the first official look at players for Hafley.
Offseason workouts for returning HCs
Teams that have a returning head coach will have to wait until April 20th, just three days before the start of the draf to bring players on their roster into the buildings for workouts.
NFL Draft – Pittsburgh, PA
This year’s draft will take place from April 23rd through the 25th. The Dolphins have the 11th pick in the draft and will have a total of eight draft picks throughout the three-day window. Miami will hope to add to this list, but it will take some creative work from Sullivan.
It’s officially the offseason for everyone.#NFL Key dates include:
Feb. 17- March 3: Teams may designate Franchise or Transition Players.
Feb. 23- March 2: NFL Combine, Indianapolis
March 9: NFL legal tampering period
March 11: Start of the new year league.
March 29-…
— Antwan V. Staley (@antwanstaley) February 9, 2026
The Dolphins will sign players from the open market, but it is highly unlikely they pursue top free agents at the start, given the amount of turnover on the roster that is expected. Fans should expect a tepid approach with a broader focus on the draft itself.