If you’re reading this and a fan of the Miami Dolphins, then you probably went ballistic (a few times) after a 50-YARD Tyreek Hill touchdown reception from one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever wear a Dolphins jersey, Tua Tagovailoa.
Or maybe it was when that same QB connected with his former college teammate, the penguin, Jaylen Waddle, for a monster reception. Whichever connection you preferred over the last five(ish) years, it’s gone.
Dead.
Buried.
No more.
And as a fan of this team – and for lack of better judgement, the players on this team — we’ve now watched guys we once thought could be lifers in Miami like Robert Hunt, Christian Wilkins, Minkah Fitzpatrick (x2), Jaelan Phillips, Jevon Holland, Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, and now Jaylen Waddle ride off into the sunset.
(Note: Feel free to add your own in the comment section below! These are just recent players who came to mind.)
This was after dropping 70 on the Denver Broncos at one point.
This was after Tua Tagovailoa’s epic second-half comeback vs. the Baltimore Ravens.
That was after Tyreek Hill was voted the top player in the league’s top-100 and looked damn near unstoppable.
Now, it’s all gone.
Sure, maybe a lot of those players I named are probably overvalued by myself and other fans alike – so maybe it won’t really matter in the long term. But when you rush out to buy jerseys or get attached to these players in press conferences and on social media, it sucks to see them go.
It sucks to know that Waddle could (very likely) be catching touchdown passes from Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix in a playoff game – something the Dolphins haven’t won in 25 years.
It will suck to see Tua Tagovailoa throwing fades to Drake London, while winning the NFC South and a playoff game – something he could never do in Miami… All the while, being paid a ton of money to LEAVE. (It needed to be done.)
Hell, it will even suck to see Tyreek Hill – as terrible of a human as he may be – catching passes for the Kansas City Chiefs or “insert team’s name here” in a meaningful playoff game, proving to the world that he is still the man they call Cheetah.
You get what I’m saying.
And yet, after typing all of that, I can’t help but feel at ease — because the truth is, it had to be done.
Like anything in life, sometimes we need some tough love.
And after inheriting an absolute cluster**** of a cap situation, Miami’s new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan had no choice but to move on from some of these players. He had no choice but to trade away Jaylen Waddle before his cap ballooned in 2027. Just like he may not have a choice — if the right offer comes calling — to trade away our beloved De’Von Achane. (Don’t worry, Schefter says everything is fine! /s)
And even still, with all of that said, for the first time in a long time, it seems like the Dolphins have a plan.
A plan that now sees Miami with seven picks in the top-100 of next month’s NFL Draft. And there’s a very good chance the team isn’t done wheeling and dealing, especially with how star-riddled the 2027 draft class looks on paper.
It’s early, and, like everything with our beloved Miami Dolphins, somehow, someway, we’ll all have egg on our faces.
But when accepting the job, Sully knew exactly what needed to be done. And whether it’s his selective free agency signings or the trades he made along the way, he has my attention. Better yet, I #TrustTheProcess, and that’s not something I’m sure I could ever confidently say under Chris Grier or some of the others who came before.
#InJonEricSullivanWETrust
What are your thoughts on the first few weeks of free agency? How do you feel about the Jaylen Waddle trade? Do you finally feel like the Do
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