Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley has a clear picture in mind for what he wants his players to look like on film.

During a sit-down interview with Peter Schrager of ESPN, Hafley talked about the same buzzwords that have populated Miami in the past few years of the Mike McDaniel regime: technique and fundamentals. But Hafley also went into some of the key moments on a player’s resume that can tell you who they really are. And it serves as an early clue as to where Miami’s new head coach may have looked first in determining who on the roster he wants back in 2026.

“Go to the last game of the season…and see how hard he’s still playing”

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“I want smart, tough, players who are instinctive and that you can count on. And I want guys that are going to buy into the whole element of ‘team’ and loving his teammates. It’s what (Jon-Eric Sullivan) and I talk about all the time — I mean, you want to find a guy who loves football, because that’s what we want? Turn on the tape and see how hard he plays. Turn the tape on in the fourth quarter and see if he’s straining on both sides of the ball. Go to the last game of the season when they’re not in a bowl game or they’re not in the playoffs and see how hard he’s still playing. Those are the things that are important to me.”

— Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley on the makeup of his preferred players

Conveniently enough for Jeff Hafley, the Dolphins had three games at the end of the 2025 season in which his Dolphins team was eliminated from the postseason. And in two of those three games, the Dolphins were obliterated by the opposition. Miami lost in Week 16 by a final score of 45-21 against the Bengals before losing 38-10 against the Patriots in Week 18. Given the team’s status and the score of those games, it’s probably safe to imagine the fourth quarter of those contests is probably a good place to start your search for a first impression Hafley could form with his new players.

Miami is just about a month away from needing to make some major decisions. Who to cut? Who to trade? Who to keep? Should they extend anyone? We now know one key factor that could help (or hurt) their fate. And we know where to find those answers for ourselves for each player on the roster, too. It’s time to check the tape…

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This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Jan 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.