The Miami Dolphins opened the week with a trade of linebacker Jaelan Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles. The move seemed to indicate the team was starting to be sellers at the NFL trade deadline. However, as Tuesday’s 4 p.m. Eastern deadline approached and deals were announced across the league, the Dolphins were absent from the moves. Now that the deadline has passed, Miami did not make any moves beyond the Phillips deal.
The Dolphins are 2-7 on the season and are headed for a rebuild. They already moved on from former general manager Chris Grier, naming Champ Kelly the interim general manager for at least the remainder of the season. Kelly was believed to be open to trades, something Grier did not appear to be, and Miami was expected to be active sellers as they started stockpiling draft picks to rebuild a disappointing roster.
That did not happen, however, and the Dolphins now head into the rest of the season with most of their roster still intact. The loss of Phillips, who is playing on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract and could be a high-dollar free agent signing in the offseason, is on that will hurt Miami’s defense, but it was one they had to make – gaining a third-round draft pick for 2026 instead of hoping to receive a compensatory pick in 2027 when he inevitably signs with a new team in free agency.
The Dolphins not making any additional moves is a surprise, especially with rumors surrounding linebackers Bradley Chubb and Matthew Judon, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, and cornerback Rasul Douglas swirling over the past few weeks. ESPN’s Adam Schefter indicated the Dolphins did receive calls about Chubb as well as wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, but the team chose to hold on to the veterans for the remainder of the season. A team would have had to offer multiple picks for Waddle, but Chubb was someone who seemed destined to move.
Now, Miami heads into their Week 10 game against the Buffalo Bills hoping to pull off an upset win at home. And they will be doing with most of the same players with whom they ended Week 9.
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