Guys, we’re close to the finish line. The Miami Dolphins fell to a disappointing 6-9 season record last Sunday with a 45-21 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, and the team finds itself with just two games left in the year, but it will face a lot of questions in the near future.
If the Dolphins move on from former starting quarterback Tua Tagoavailoa this offseason, as many NFL insiders predict, they will have more than $99 million in available space if he is cut from the team entirely. If the team can find a trade partner, that number would drop to $45.2 million — but at this point, it might be difficult to sell Tagovailoa to another team if Miami doesn’t eat up the majority of Tagovailoa’s contract.
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Owner Stephen Ross also has a big decision to make regarding head coach Mike McDaniel. Some insiders are predicting McDaniel will stay through the 2026 season, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter poured cold water on that idea on Monday, saying nothing has been decided yet and the team’s performance in the final two games could still lead to Miami parting ways with McDaniel in the near future.
Oh, it’s so much fun to be a Dolphins fan…
flippers up
This week’s Fins Up player is running back De’Von Achane. Akan had a strong performance against the Bengals, rushing for 81 yards on 15 carries (5.4 yards per carry) and a long touchdown. However, he’s not on this list because of his performance against Cincinnati.
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The 2025 Pro Bowl roster was announced on Tuesday morning, and Achane was selected to play in the game for the first time in his three-year NFL career.
Miami’s 24-year-old ball carrier has 220 rushing attempts for 1,267 yards and eight rushing touchdowns. He also added 64 catches for 459 yards and four receiving touchdowns. Akan ranks fifth in the entire NFL with 1,726 yards from scrimmage this season, trailing only Bejan Robinson of the Atlanta Falcons, Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers, Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts and James Cook of the Buffalo Bills.
fins down
This week’s Fins Down personalities are Pro Bowl voters…
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Dolphins inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks is having a forgettable year. His 169 tackle total led the NFL, but two players preceded him this season to the Pro Bowl.
Aziz Alshahir of the Houston Texans had 96 tackles, 0 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 1 interception. He was selected to the 2025 Pro Bowl. Roquan Smith of the Baltimore Ravens totaled 124 tackles, 0 sacks, 0 forced fumbles and 0 interceptions. He was selected to the 2025 Pro Bowl.
Jordyn Brooks totaled 169 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 0 interceptions. He was not selected to the 2025 Pro Bowl but was named the AFC’s No. 1 backup at the position.
Voters, shame on you. shame on you.