History of the Miami Dolphins
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
The
The late 1960s: Origins
The first professional American football team to be based in Miami and the state of Florida was the Miami Seahawks. The Seahawks entered the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) during its inaugural 1946 season, as the first major league-level sports franchise ever in Miami. However, the team lasted only one year before being confiscated by the league.[9]
Miami had been a target for the
Robbie had originally wanted to establish the new franchise in
At the suggestion of Foss, Robbie agreed to court Miami due to its warm climate, growing population, and lack of a football team.
The Dolphins' first head coach was George Wilson, former coach of the Detroit Lions. Under Wilson, the Dolphins had a combined 15–39–2 record in four seasons.
The 1970s: The perfect season and the Super Bowl titles
Upon joining the NFL in 1970, the Dolphins hired Don Shula, a former Paul Brown disciple who had been lured from the Baltimore Colts after losing Super Bowl III two seasons earlier to the AFL's New York Jets and finishing 8–5–1 the following season, as their head coach. The Colts were enraged, especially since they had agreed upon the merger to move to the new American Football Conference and become the Dolphins' division rivals. They charged the Dolphins with tampering in gaining Shula. NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle awarded Baltimore Miami's first round draft pick in 1971 as compensation.
Shula introduced himself to the Miami press by saying that he didn't have any magic formulas and that the only way he knew to make his teams successful was through hard work. Shula's early training camps with the Dolphins would soon be the stuff of sweltering, painful legend. But Shula's hard work paid immediate dividends, as Miami improved to a 10–4 record and their first-ever playoff appearance, losing 21–14 at Oakland.
The Dolphins were a successful team during the early 1970s, becoming the first team to advance to the Super Bowl for three consecutive seasons. They captured the AFC championship in 1971 behind quarterback Bob Griese and wide receiver Paul Warfield. The AFC Divisional Playoff Game, in which the Dolphins defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 27–24, was the longest contest in NFL history (82 minutes 40 seconds). The Dolphins then shut out the Colts 21–0 in the AFC Championship game at the Orange Bowl. In Super Bowl VI, however, Miami lost to the Dallas Cowboys 24–3.
In
The Dolphins finished 12–2 after the 1973 regular season and repeated as NFL champions, beating the Minnesota Vikings 24–7 in Super Bowl VIII at Rice Stadium in Houston. Miami reached the playoffs again in 1974 but lost in the first round to the Oakland Raiders, in what has entered NFL lore as the "Sea of Hands" game, considered one of the greatest games ever played. This devastating loss, which Shula called his toughest ever (he cried in the locker room after the game) and which haunts Dolphin players and fans to this day, marked the end of the Dolphins' dynasty. It would be eight years before the Dolphins would win another playoff game. After the disappointing defeat, several players, including Csonka, Warfield, and running back Jim Kiick, joined the short-lived World Football League. The Dolphins managed to win ten games in 1975, aided by Griese's consistency and the fine play of wide receiver Nat Moore. They did not make the playoffs, however, losing on tiebreakers to the Baltimore Colts.
Miami rebounded from a 6–8 losing record in 1976 by winning ten or more games in four of the next five seasons. Shula built a solid defense around a new set of stars, including linebacker A. J. Duhe and linemen Bob Baumhower and Doug Betters. The Dolphins went 10–4 again in 1977, but again lost the division title (and playoff spot) to the Colts. They made the playoffs as a wild card in 1978, but lost in the first round to the Houston Oilers 17–9.
Csonka returned to the Dolphins in time for the 1979 season. After winning the AFC East division with a 10–6 record, the Dolphins lost the divisional playoff 34–14 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium.
The Dolphins also accomplished another feat never done before or since by another NFL team. They beat the division rival Buffalo Bills 20 consecutive times in the 1970s. The Bills were "0 for the seventies" against the Dolphins.
The 1980s: The Marino era (Part 1)
In 1980, David Woodley, an athletic quarterback out of LSU, took over for Bob Griese, who severely injured his shoulder in a game against the Baltimore Colts. Griese would never play again, retiring after the season. The Dolphins finished 8–8 and did not make the playoffs. Their season ender with the Jets was notable for being the only NFL game ever broadcast without commentary.
The Dolphins were back on top of the
In the
The Dolphins began 1983 with the offense struggling. In the season opener at Buffalo, David Woodley passed for only 40 yards, and they had to simply kick their way to victory with four FGs in a 12–0 win. Although he played well against New England in Week 2, a loss to the
In
In
In
The 1990s: The Marino era (Part 2)
By 1990, the Dolphins had finally shaped up on defense and finished with a 12–4 record, second in the AFC East. They beat the Kansas City Chiefs 17–16 in the wild card round, but lost to the Buffalo Bills 44–34 in the divisional playoff. The team struggled with defensive injuries in 1991, and narrowly missed the playoffs on an overtime loss to the New York Jets in the final week of the season.
The Dolphins finished 11–5 in 1992, capturing the AFC East title behind Mark Higgs having his best season as a running back and tight end Keith Jackson (acquired as an unrestricted free agent from the Philadelphia Eagles) leading the team in receiving. They beat the Chargers in the divisional playoffs 31–0, but were defeated by the Buffalo Bills 29–10 in the AFC Championship.
1993 turned into a disastrous year for the Dolphins. Both Marino and backup quarterback Scott Mitchell suffered injuries, and following a memorable win over Dallas on Thanksgiving Day with Steve DeBerg as starting quarterback, Miami lost its final 5 games, including their must-win season finale in overtime at New England, to miss the playoffs at 9–7.
With Marino back for the
In 1995, Marino broke the career passing records formerly held by
In 1996, Miami finished 8–8 and out of the playoffs, with rookie Karim Abdul-Jabbar's 1,116-yard rushing season one of the lone bright spots. In 1997, Miami stumbled late and backed into the playoffs with a 9–7 season, losing to the New England Patriots 17–3 in the wild card round.
Miami had a solid 10–6 season in 1998 with a career season for receiver
In 1999, Marino was injured during a game in which backup quarterback Damon Huard led a comeback. During the previous two years, the Broncos had won the Super Bowl, ending years of futility for their quarterback, John Elway. Marino was now being hailed as the next great success story, but it was not to be. Miami proceeded to go 2–6 in their last eight games, but still backed into the playoffs at 9–7. After a close 20–17 win at Seattle in the wild card round, the Dolphins faced the Jacksonville Jaguars in the divisional round and suffered a disastrous 62–7 rout, the second most lopsided postseason game in NFL history after the 1940 NFL Championship. Marino subsequently announced his retirement, and head coach Jimmy Johnson also left the team.
2000-2011: the Post-Marino Era
Following Dan Marino's retirement, the Dolphins shuffled thirteen quarterbacks and five head coaches during the 2000s, only making the postseason three times during that decade.
2000-2004: Dave Wannstedt's tenure as coach
2000
Before the 2000 season,
2001
The 2001 offseason brought in rookie Chris Chambers at wide receiver, but Trace Armstrong left for Oakland, as did two offensive linemen, Richmond Webb, a Pro Bowl anchor since 1990, and Kevin Donnalley, who left for Cincinnati and Carolina respectively. On February 1, 2001, the Dolphins placed the franchise tag on Jason Taylor for $5.39 million. Later in July 2001 the Dolphins were able to sign Taylor to a long-term 6-year $42 million deal. Also, shortly before the season started in August, the Dolphins traded for QB Cade McNown and a 2002 7th-round draft pick from the Chicago Bears for a 2002 and 2003 6th-round draft picks.[16]
In the 2001 season, the Dolphins finished 11–5. A struggling offensive line play and a pedestrian offense kept Miami from being successful running the ball, and the Dolphins were shut out twice on the year. Despite it all, the solid defense kept them in it and they earned a wild card with an 11–5 record, finishing second in the AFC East title behind the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. The Dolphins lost in the first round of the playoffs 20–3 to the Baltimore Ravens.
2002
Miami revitalized its running game in time for the 2002 season by trading for New Orleans Saints running back Ricky Williams. In addition, rookie tight end Randy McMichael had a productive season.[17] The Dolphins, behind a new offensive scheme under freshly hired offensive coordinator Norv Turner, who replaced Chan Gailey, and a power running game led by Williams, quickly rushed out to a 5–1 start, including an incredible last-minute comeback by Fiedler against the Broncos. However, Fiedler injured his thumb and sat out for an extended period of time. This had excited many Dolphins fans, as many believed backup Ray Lucas could outdo the much-maligned Fiedler. However, Lucas was abysmal in his first two games and merely average in his third, and the team dropped three straight. Miami rebounded with wins over Baltimore and an impressive thumping of San Diego, but lost to Buffalo. Still, Miami pulled off an impressive win over the Oakland Raiders and sat at 9–5 with two weeks left in the season, in prime position to steal the AFC East. However, in Week 17, despite dominating the New England Patriots for most of the game, the Dolphins blew an 11-point 4th-quarter lead and eventually lost in overtime. Due to a tiebreaker, both the Dolphins and Patriots lost out on the playoffs as the Jets took the AFC East title. Fans wanted Wannstedt's firing, but he was kept on for the 2003 season. Despite it all, the team believed it had plenty to look forward to, as Williams broke Dolphins records with 1,853 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground. The real culprit of Miami's demise was its poor play on the road, in which the team finished 2–6 and the defense surrendered over 8 yards a game.
2003
The 2003 Miami Dolphins featured a stout defense that was adept at creating turnovers and stopping the run. However, poor offensive line play (despite most of the starters returning) gave little room for Ricky Williams to run, and the offense was stagnant. The Dolphins began with a repeat of 2002's season end, with a complete meltdown against the
2004
The 2004 offseason was disastrous for the Dolphins. Tight end
2005-2007: Nick Saban's NFL coaching stint and the worst season in franchise history
2005
In 2005, the offseason saw many changes for the Dolphins as Saban began to mold the team in his image. The team selected
The Dolphins began their 2005 regular season with a bang. The Dolphins won their Week 1 home-opener against the Denver Broncos 34–10, giving Nick Saban his very first NFL win. Despite going on the road and losing to division rival New York Jets (17–7), the Dolphins won a tough game at home against the Carolina Panthers 27–24. After their Week 4 bye, they lost their next two road games to their division rival Buffalo Bills (20–14) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (27–13). Not even Ricky Williams's return against the Bucs was enough.
On Friday, October 21, the Dolphins had to play their home game against the
2006
In the offseason the Dolphins showed major interest in signing free agent quarterback Drew Brees; however, Miami was unsure if Brees' shoulder was completely healed from a labrum tear he suffered with the San Diego Chargers.[18] The Dolphins ended negotiations and traded for Minnesota Vikings QB Daunte Culpepper instead. Years later, Brees won a Super Bowl with his new team, the New Orleans Saints; and broke several NFL passing records. In contrast, Culpepper never recovered from the devastating knee injury he suffered in 2005, was benched after the fourth game of the season and eventually put on injured reserve. During the preseason, Sports Illustrated touted the Dolphins to be one of the teams heading to the Super Bowl XLI. They were predicted to lose by a field goal to the Carolina Panthers in their own Dolphin Stadium. In Saban's second season, the Dolphins were expected to contend for a playoff spot. The season turned out to be a major disappointment. Before the season began, Ricky Williams tested positive for the 4th time for violating the NFLs substance abuse policy, ending his season. The season started out with a rough loss to the defending Super Bowl champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Dolphins went on to start the season with a record of 1–6. However, they had seemed to have turned something around midseason, much like the previous year's late-season surge. However, with a 6–8 record after a loss to Buffalo in Week 15, they were assured to once again miss the playoffs. The team finished 6–10 after a loss to the Colts in their final game. On January 3, 2007, Saban announced that he had accepted a contract for eight years and a guaranteed $5 to coach at the University of Alabama. Saban left despite making several public statements in the preceding weeks assuring fans and owner Wayne Huizenga that he would be staying on as coach. Cam Cameron, previously the offensive coordinator for the Chargers, was hired as the new head coach.
2007: Rock bottom
The Dolphins hit rock bottom in 2007, losing 13 games in a row to start the season. Five of those losses were by three points or less. A loss to Buffalo in Week 10 sealed their fate for the season, and the next game was a rare 3–0 defeat in Pittsburgh. A win in Week 15 over the Baltimore Ravens ensured that the Dolphins would not have a winless season, but they dropped their last two games to finish 1–15, the worst record in franchise history. However, six of the team's losses in 2007 were by margins of three points or less. Late in the season, two-time Super Bowl winning coach Bill Parcells was named Executive Vice President of the Dolphins football operations. Shortly after the season finale, Parcells fired general manager Randy Mueller and on January 3, 2008, head coach Cam Cameron was fired along with almost all of his staff.
2008-2011: Tony Sparano, Wildcat, and resurgence
2008
Parcells then hired
2009
In the 2009 off-season, Miami made many additions to the roster, including drafting what would be a very productive corner back tandem of Vontae Davis and Sean Smith. Additionally, they would draft WR Brian Hartline from Ohio State University. Miami would also sign Ricky Williams to a one-year contract extension and sign offensive lineman Richie Incognito.[16]
In 2009 the Dolphins again started off 0–2. Tom Brady returned to action, and so another Dolphins division title seemed unlikely. In week 3 Chad Pennington suffered a shoulder injury against the San Diego Chargers and was out for the rest of the 2009 season. Second-year quarterback
2010
During the 2010 NFL Draft, the Dolphins selected Jared Odrick with their first-round draft pick. In September 2010, Bill Parcells, stepped down as Vice President of Football Operations, but remained as a consultant.[19] He was later criticised for not making the right choices to improve the team.[20] Ronnie Brown was back from his leg injury the previous year, and Ricky Williams also returned (while many speculated he would retire). Off-season moves included acquiring WR Brandon Marshall from Denver. The Dolphins got off to a good start by winning their first two matches (both on the road) against Buffalo and Minnesota, but lost at home in Week 3 to the Jets. Week 4 saw another divisional loss at home versus New England before the Dolphins headed on the road again, beating Green Bay 23–20. After a loss at home to Pittsburgh 23–22 on a controversial fumble call the Dolphins hit the road to Cincinnati to win 22–14. Their perfect road streak was finally ended in Week 9 after losing to the Ravens 26–10. The following week, they beat Tennessee for what proved to be their only home win of 2010. Miami went 2–2 down the stretch before being eliminated from playoff contention by Buffalo in Week 15. Two meaningless games against Detroit and New England were lost to end with another middling 7–9 season and a 1–7 home record. At the end of the 2010 season, owner Stephen Ross flew to California to interview Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh, who was ultimately hired by the San Francisco 49ers to be their new head coach.[21] Word of the trip leaked out to the news media and so Ross apologized to Tony Sparano by giving him a two-year contract extension.[22]
2011
History again repeated itself as the Dolphins failed to improve the offensive side of the ball in the 2011 draft. Veteran QB Chad Pennington meanwhile announced that he would take the year off to recover from injuries. With the team showing little faith in Chad Henne, it was widely assumed they'd take
2012–2018: The Ryan Tannehill era
2012–2015: The Joe Philbin years
2012
The Dolphins were in contention to hire former long-time
2013-14
With many question marks about the future of some popular players, including Jake Long, the Dolphins went into the off-season looking for help at many positions.[citation needed] They started free agency by re-signing Brian Hartline, and added Mike Wallace, Dannell Ellerbe, Phillip Wheeler, Dustin Keller, and Brandon Gibson, but lost Long and Sean Smith. Despite the signings of Brandon Albert, Cortland Finnegan, Louis Delmas, and Earl Mitchell, and a breakout season for Jelani Jenkins, the Dolphins finished the 2013 season at 8–8 and would have made the playoffs if not for a losing streak near the end of the season. After the 2013 season, general manager Jeff Ireland was fired, as urged by fans for the prior two years,[citation needed] and was replaced by Dennis Hickey. However, despite a 5–3 start, the Dolphins once again finished the 2014 season at 8–8 and missed the playoffs for a sixth consecutive season.
2015
In January 2015, the Dolphins hired former New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum to become the team's executive vice president of football operations. Tannenbaum started his career as a contract negotiator for the Jets and ultimately became their general manager in 2006. He helped build a roster that went to two consecutive AFC Championship games. Newly hired general manager Dennis Hickey would retain his power over the final 53-man roster. However, given Tannenbaum's history, it has been widely speculated that Tannenbaum has final say over personnel.[28] In March 2015, the Dolphins made the biggest free agent signing of the NFL off-season; they signed defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to the richest contract in NFL history for any defensive player. Suh's contract is for six years and $114 million ($60 million guaranteed).[29] Two months later, in May 2015, the Dolphins locked up franchise quarterback Ryan Tannehill through the 2020 season with a contract extension worth $96 million ($45 million guaranteed).[30] Two months after the Tannehill contract extension was announced, a study done by students at Harvard University used predictive analytics to try to determine the success of each NFL team for the upcoming season. The study predicted the Dolphins to win Super Bowl 50.[31] However, the Dolphins began the 2015 season with a 1–3 record, which resulted in head coach Joe Philbin's firing on October 5, 2015, one day after the Dolphins lost to the Jets in London's Wembley Stadium. Tight end coach Dan Campbell, a holdover from the Sparano regime, was appointed as interim head coach.[32] The Dolphins would finish the season with a record of 6-10.
2016–2018: Adam Gase era and Chris Grier hiring
2016
On January 9, 2016, Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase was hired as head coach.[33] 5 days earlier, the Dolphins promoted long-time scout Chris Grier as their new general manager. In the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft, the Dolphins selected Ole Miss tackle Laremy Tunsil, a projected first selection overall[34][35] who felt down in the draft due to a controversial video published on a social media account.[36] The Dolphins also swung a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, sending the 8th overall pick for linebacker Kiko Alonso and cornerback Byron Maxwell and the 13th overall pick. The Adam Gase era got off to a lackluster start, as the Dolphins were 1–4 with their only win coming in overtime against a struggling Cleveland Browns team. However, the Dolphins upset the first place Pittsburgh Steelers, 30–15 in week 6, sparking a 6-game winning streak and launching the team into playoff contention at 7–4. After a blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Dolphins won 3 straight games against the Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills to clinch their first playoff spot since 2008. The Dolphins finished 10–6 and locked up the number 6 seed in the playoffs. They were defeated in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in a rematch of the week 6 contest.
2017
During training camp, Ryan Tannehill aggravated a knee injury that ended his 2016 season, ending his 2017 season before it started when he opted for surgery.[37] As a result, the Dolphins signed former Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler out of retirement to replace Tannehill.[38] The Dolphins fell short of repeating their 2016 success, finishing with a 6–10 record and trading away star running back Jay Ajayi to the Philadelphia Eagles. However, some highlights of the season included notable upsets over the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots, who played in the Super Bowl the year prior.
2018
During the offseason, Miami released Suh and traded away receiver Jarvis Landry after signing him to a franchise tag.[39][40] To replace the productivity of Landry in Miami's offense, the Dolphins signed former New England Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola and Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Albert Wilson. They also signed veteran running back Frank Gore and offensive guard Josh Sitton, ranked fifth at his position by Pro Football Focus, to help bolster up their offensive line.[41]
The 2018 season started well for the Dolphins, as they attained their first 3–0 start since the Marino era and saw Ryan Tannehill return from his knee injury. However, Tannehill injured his shoulder during a Week 5 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, forcing him to miss five games. During a Week 14 home game against the Patriots, the Dolphins executed what became known as the Miracle in Miami. Tannehill completed a pass to wide receiver Kenny Stills, who lateraled to fellow receiver DeVante Parker. Parker then lateraled the ball to running back Kenyan Drake, who rushed to the end zone as time expired, giving the Dolphins a 34–33 win. The win helped the Dolphins improve to 7–6 on the season, but they dropped their final three games to finish 7–9 and missed the playoffs for the second straight season. Gase was fired on December 31, 2018, a day after the Dolphins' Week 17 loss to the Bills.
2019–present: Brian Flores, Tua Tagovailoa, and Mike McDaniel
Long-time Patriots assistant
2019
On August 31, 2019, the Dolphins traded
2020
Thanks to the trades prior to and during the 2019 season, the Dolphins held three first-round picks in the
2021
Despite high expectations in 2021, Miami sputtered to a 1–7 start, losing seven in a row after beating the New England Patriots in week 1, with Tagovailoa struggling with inconsistent play and injuries at first. However, they would then proceed to win the next seven games to remain in the playoff hunt, also becoming the first team in NFL history to have a 7-game winning streak as well as a 7-game losing streak in the same season.[53] The 7 game winning streak was their first since the 1985 season. Despite being eliminated from playoff contention by losing to the Tennessee Titans, led by former Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill in Week 17,[54] the Dolphins finished the season 9–8, making Flores the first coach to lead the team to consecutive winning seasons since Dave Wannstedt did so in 2002 and 2003. Nonetheless, owner Stephen M. Ross fired Flores on January 10, 2022 in a surprise move, allegedly due to poor relationships with both the roster, particularly with Tagovailoa,[55] and the front office.[56]
2022
On August 2, 2022, it was announced that following a six-month independent investigation by Mary Jo White and a team of lawyers, the NFL would strip the Dolphins of their 2023 first-round draft pick and a 2024 third-round draft pick for violating the league's anti-tampering policy on three occasions from 2019 to 2022 by engaging in impermissible conversations with quarterback Tom Brady and then-New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton, both of whom were under contract with other teams. Team owner Stephen M. Ross was also fined $1.5 million and suspended through October 17, and was prohibited from being at the Dolphins' facility or representing the team at any event until then. He was also prohibited from attending any league meeting before the annual meeting in 2023, and was removed from all league committees indefinitely.[57] Vice chairman/limited partner Bruce Beal was fined $500,000 and will not be permitted to attend any league meetings for the rest of the 2022 season.[58]
The Dolphins hired former San Francisco 49ers offensive assistant Mike McDaniel as their new head coach and made a splash move in trading for former Kansas City Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill.[59][60] With these new additions, the Dolphins offense became one of the most explosive in the league and Tagovailoa's performance greatly improved in light of a better relationship with McDaniel than with Flores,[61] though the Dolphins received criticism for handling several concussions sustained by Tagovailoa throughout the course of the season and their defense regressed.[62] Miami matched its record from the previous year at 9–8, good enough to clinch the 7th seed in the 2022 playoffs, where they would lose to Buffalo in the wild card round.[63]
Notes and references
- ^ "Miami Dolphins - Standings". miamidolphins.com. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
- ^ "Hard Rock Stadium". stadiumsofprofootball.com. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
- ^ Nogle, Kevin (May 24, 2021). "Miami Dolphins training camp moving to Miami Gardens, Hard Rock Stadium site". thephinsider.com. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
- ^ "Hard Rock Stadium A-Z Guide". hardrockstadium.com. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
- ^ George, Dave. "Joe Robbie's political, Hollywood ties helped secure Dolphins franchise". palmbeachpost.com. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
- ^ "Miami Dolphins Team History". profootballhof.com. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
- ^ "1946 Miami Seahawks Statistics & Players". Pro-football-reference.com/. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
- ^ Devitt, Mike. "Life Before Indianapolis: A History of the Baltimore Colts". bonesaw.tripod.com. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
- ISBN 1-57233-447-9. Retrieved October 19, 2010.
- ^ "Texan millions are behind the American Football League - 01.25.60 - SI Vault". Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2009.
- ^ Warren, Matt (June 17, 2011). "Best Moments in Bills History, No. 23: Miami Turns Down Ralph Wilson". buffalorumblings.com. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
- ISBN 0-06-270174-6. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
- ^ This Man Fired Flipper
- ^ Armistead, Tom "On the Departing Dolphins: Observations and Conclusions" (August 4, 1966), Evening Independent
- ^ "Top Orlando News, Weather, Sports, Entertainment". orlandosentinel.com. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ a b "Miami Dolphins Transactions". Retrieved April 9, 2020.
- ^ "Miami Dolphins: Reviewing the 2002 NFL Draft for the Franchise". Bleacher Report.
- ^ Kirwin, Pat (February 9, 2011). "Teams must be kicking themselves for not drafting Rodgers". NFL.com. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
- ^ "Parcells abdicates Dolphins to Ireland". September 7, 2010.
- ^ Kelly, Omar Kelly, By Omar (October 24, 2014). "Bill Parcells claims "neophyte owner" contributed to his Dolphins exit". sun-sentinel.com. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Sources: Dolphins fly out West to woo Harbaugh". January 6, 2011.
- ^ "Miami Dolphins owner apologizes, extends coach Tony Sparano's contract through 2013 - Miami Dolphins - MiamiHerald.com". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on January 21, 2011.
- ^ "Tony Sparano pleas to refs saying "Now I'm getting fired" – Miami Dolphins – Sun-Sentinel". Archived from the original on December 27, 2011. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
- ^ The Miami Herald http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/27/2473593/miami-dolphins-coach-tony-sparano.html.
{{cite news}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help)[dead link] - ^ The Miami Herald http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/13/2543293/miami-dolphins-fire-coach-tony.html.
{{cite news}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help)[dead link] - ^ "Dolphins GM explains moves after fans protest". March 20, 2012.
- ^ "Dolphins fans take to the sky to express anger over GM Jeff Ireland". Archived from the original on April 28, 2012. Retrieved May 6, 2012.
- ^ "Mike Tannenbaum to take over Miami Dolphins football operations". miamiherald. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
- NFL.com. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
- ^ "Ryan Tannehill of Miami Dolphins signs contract extension through 2020 season". May 18, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
- ^ "A Way-Too-Early Prediction of the NFL Season". July 22, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
- ^ James Walker (October 5, 2015). "Dolphins fire coach Joe Philbin after team stumbles to 1–3 start". ESPN. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
- ^ Campbell, Rich (January 9, 2016). "Bears need new offensive coordinator as Adam Gase leaves for Miami Dolphins". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
- ^ "Mock draft 2.0: First-round outlook after Super Bowl". USA Today. February 8, 2016.
- ^ "2016 NFL Mock Draft: Projecting first two rounds". Sports Illustrated. February 10, 2016.
- New York Times. April 29, 2016.
- ^ "'He's done, I think': Dolphins reportedly fear Ryan Tannehill needs season-ending surgery". The Washington Post. August 3, 2017.
- ^ Orr, Conor (August 7, 2017). "Jay Cutler agrees to one-year deal with Miami Dolphins". NFL.com.
- ^ Thomas, Jeanna (March 12, 2018). "Ndamukong Suh is the latest victim of the Dolphins' 'culture change'". SBNation.com. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
- ^ Stites, Adam (March 9, 2018). "Why did the Dolphins tag and trade Jarvis Landry to Browns?". SBNation.com. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
- ^ "Miami Dolphins 2018 offseason moves". Pro Football Focus. April 19, 2018. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
- ^ Wolfe, Cameron (February 4, 2019). "Dolphins make Patriots assistant Brian Flores their next head coach". ESPN.
- ^ "Sources: Dolphins trade QB Tannehill to Titans". ESPN. March 15, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- ^ Bergman, Jeremy (March 17, 2019). "Dolphins agree to two-year deal with Ryan Fitzpatrick". NFL.com.
- ^ Teope, Herbie. "Cardinals trade QB Josh Rosen to Dolphins for pick". NFL.com. Archived from the original on April 29, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
- ^ Patra, Kevin. "Texans trade for Dolphins' Laremy Tunsil, Kenny Stills". NFL.com. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
- ^ "Dolphins' ineptitude a challenge for oddsmakers". September 18, 2019.
- ^ "Media continue to call for NFL to do something about Miami Dolphins". September 18, 2019.
- ^ Deen, Safid (November 4, 2019). "Dolphins beat Jets for first win, and players say victory worth possibly hurting shot at top pick". South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
- ^ Hightower, Kyle (December 29, 2019). "Dolphins stun Patriots 27-24, denying NE first-round bye". ABC News. AP Sports. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
- ^ "2020 NFL Draft Order: First-Round picks from 1-32, date and location". ESPN. February 2, 2020.
- ^ Smith, Michael David (October 20, 2020). "Tua Tagovailoa to start for Dolphins". ProFootballTalk. NBC Sports. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
- ^ @AdamSchefter (December 28, 2021). "Dolphins are now the first team in NFL history to have both a seven-game winning streak and a seven-game losing streak in the same season" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "The Dolphins have officially been eliminated from the postseason". Dolphins Wire. January 3, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ "Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa doesn't have much to say about relationship with Brian Flores, but raves about support from Mike McDaniel". Sun Sentinel. April 20, 2022. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
- Pro Football Talk. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
- ^ "NFL strips Dolphins of draft picks for Brady, Payton contact; fines, suspends owner Ross". UPI. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
- ^ "Fins lose 1st-rounder for Brady, Payton tampering". ESPN.com. August 2, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
- ^ Dubow, Josh (February 6, 2022). "Dolphins hire Mike McDaniel as head coach". Associated Press. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- ^ Schefter, Adam (March 23, 2022). "Miami Dolphins acquire Kansas City Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill for five draft picks, give him four-year, $120 million deal". ESPN. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ "Tua Tagovailoa on Mike McDaniel: Having someone that believes in you makes all the difference". NBC Sports. November 28, 2022. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
- ^ Merrill, Elizabeth; Louis-Jacques, Marcel (January 11, 2023). "Why Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa now must face questions about concussions and his future". ESPN. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
- ^ Deen, Safid (January 16, 2023). "Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills outlast Miami Dolphins in AFC wild-card game win". USA Today. Retrieved February 3, 2023.