Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley referred to the San Francisco 49ers as the "blueprint" in creating and sustaining long-term success.
The Miami Dolphins are currently in a full rebuild phase, despite the team or head coach Jeff Hafley wanting to use that word. Simply put, the team broke down its roster and shed bloated contracts in a big way to prepare for the future.
Due to the roster construction, there is a strong belief that the Dolphins will struggle in 2026 to prepare for a more fruitful future. When discussing long-term success, Hafley spoke about the San Francisco 49ers and head coach Kyle Shanahan as the "blueprint" for lasting success.
When Shanahan took over as the head coach for the 49ers, the team went through two struggling years. In 2017, the team finished 6-10 and followed that up with a 4-12 record in 2018.
While the organization could have easily fired Shanahan and moved on, the 49ers then became a huge contender in Year 3, posting a 13-3 record and playing in the Super Bowl.
There have been tough seasons for Shanahan and the 49ers, but he has two Super Bowl appearances and five playoff berths since taking over.
That level of success has impacted Hafley in a major way, and the Dolphins' head coach spoke about seeing the same trajectory as what can happen with this young Miami team.
When speaking to the media on Tuesday, Hafley said the way that Shanahan built the 49ers is the "blueprint" to lasting success.
"And remember, we were 0-9. Kyle's first season, I'm there; we started off 0-9, we won a bunch of games. And next year, I think we won four or five games. In year three, they went to the Super Bowl. So he had a process. And Kyle's a huge influence on me and I truly believe he's one of the reasons that I'm here right now," Hafley said.
When Hafley was coming up in the coaching world, he worked with Shanahan and the 49ers, giving him a big insight into how the head coach ran the organization. Additionally, his ability to stay calm and collected while building what he was building also made an impact.
Hafley himself said that the 2026 season will not be based on wins and losses, and while he did not outright say it, he is basically acknowledging the hurdles this 2026 Dolphins team will face with such a young roster.
The silver lining to understanding that this season may be full of struggles is that Hafley continues to practice what he preaches in building a sustained winner, alongside general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, which he believes could be similar to how Jon Lynch and Shanahan have operated.
"Seeing him stick to the process and hold people to a standard during two really hard years and building it the right way and not flinching, and him and Jon just being like this (clasps hands together). I think that has stuck with me. And that's- you look at us now, I'm not saying by any means that we're going to start that way, but Sully and I together, trying to build this thing the right way, Kyle kind of gave me the blueprint for that," Hafley said.
Miami may not have the star power currently, but they are predicted to have the third-highest cap in 2027. Additionally, the youth movement on this team could lead to many strong players down the stretch.
A few of those players have already begun to show their skills: guard Kadyn Proctor, wide receiver Caleb Douglas, and linebacker Jacob Rodriguez have all impressed with just one game under their belts.
There are several other Dolphins players who will get valuable snaps in 2026 and can eventually turn into strong components for this team.
It may take some time, but Hafley following or looking to Shanahan on how to build a winner may benefit the organization in a major way.
