The Miami Dolphins may have an even more difficult 2026, based on their official NFL strength of schedule placement.
The Miami Dolphins are already a team that many believe will be one of the worst in 2026. It's hard not to understand that simply from the perspective of the immense changes that have occurred.
From a brand new front office to coaching staff, the team also has a roster that is made up of low-cost free agents, due to their record-breaking dead cap situation. Now, things may end up being even tougher on the team, as they have been hit hard with being second in strength of schedule for the 2026 season.
Ahead of the full schedule release on May 14, the strength of schedule has been revealed, per opponents win records from 2025.
The Dolphins' opponents in 2026 have a collective .542 win percentage based on their win totals from the 2025 season.
Some of those opponents with high win totals include divisional rivals Buffalo Bills (12-5), New England Patriots (14-3), Chicago Bears (11-6), Los Angeles Chargers (11-6), and Denver Broncos (14-3).
This schedule does not mean that the Dolphins cannot be surprisingly competitive; it will just be far more difficult to go against opponents that have gotten better since last offseason and are already projected to be playoff teams. However, there is also no guarantee that teams that made the playoffs in 2025 will do the same in 2026.
As the full schedule release looms, Miami may also benefit from playing some of the above opponents earlier on in the season, as teams can usually falter when they are establishing their identities. Should said playoff hopefuls start slow, it could be to the benefit of the Dolphins to play them early on.
Though there are a multitude of playoff teams on the list from 2025, the Dolphins also have some presumed softer opponents in the New York Jets (twice), Las Vegas Raiders, and Minnesota Vikings.
Nobody can quite predict how any team will perform. The strength of schedule does matter in the grand scheme of things, but new coaches can often surprise with how fast they turn teams around.
Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley has yet to coach at the NFL level, which is a reason why the team is being counted out a bit. However, the respect he has already commanded from players and media alike, he could rally the team in a major way.
Week 1 is months away, and time will tell how this Dolphins team will truly perform. Per their srength of schedule, they will have plenty of tests to determine just how competitive they can be.