The Miami Dolphins have officially been eliminated from postseason contention as they lost 28-15 to the Steelers on Monday Night Football. The Dolphins opened the game with a 3-0 lead, but failed to bounce back after the Steelers scored 28 straight points.
The Dolphins have now extended their playoff win drought, which is the longest in the NFL. They have not won a playoff game since the 2000 season.
Ramifications for the Dolphins
GettyMike McDaniel
For the Miami Dolphins, everything is now on the table. After their 2-7 start, the Dolphins fired general manager Chris Grier. They then reeled off four straight wins, but failed to keep their momentum going in Pittsburgh. Thereâs been plenty of speculation regarding Mike McDanielâs job security, but this performance likely hurt his chances.
Through four seasons, McDaniel has a 34-31 record with the Dolphins, but has failed to get Miami a playoff win. Prior to hiring him, the Dolphins had put together back-to-back winning seasons that didnât feature playoff appearances. Miamiâs head coach made the postseason in his first two seasons in Miami, but lost in the Wild Card round on both occasions.
Some Dolphins players may find themselves out of a job as well. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has led Miami to a 44-32 record, but injuries and diminishing performances have resulted in him being a have raised questions about his long-term future with the Dolphins. With the loss, Tua dropped to 0-6 when playing in 40 degrees or lower. Â The Dolphins quarterback now leads the NFL with 15 interceptions on the season. Tagovailoa still carries a $56 million cap hit in 2026, which may make it hard for the new Dolphins front office to move the former first-round pick.
A Disappointing Miami Dolphins Season
With the Dolphins facing elimination, they failed to snap the Steelersâ 22-game Monday Night Football home winning streak. After taking a 3-0 lead, the Steelers had four straight offensive possessions end in touchdowns. Miamiâs winning formula coming into the game had been winning the turnover battle and running the ball. They failed to do either of those things in Pittsburgh.
The Dolphins started the year at 1-6, and failed to replicate the offensive firepower they displayed during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Miamiâs schedule eased up as they won five out of six games to keep their season alive.Â
In 2024, the Dolphins could rationalize their disappointing season by using injuries as an excuse. Starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa missed six games with a concussion and hip injury. In 2025, the Dolphins struggled even with him in the lineup. Miami did lose superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill earlier in the year, but they were already 0-3 at the time of the injury.
After back-to-back seasons without making the playoffs, changes should be expected from the Dolphins. Following the 2024 season, owner Stephen Ross said, âWe will take a hard look at where we have fallen short and make the necessary changes to deliver our ultimate goal of building and sustaining a winning team that competes for championships.â Miamiâs 2025 season proved that those changes need to occur, what those changes will be remains to be seen.
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