Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley had a fiery response to how he views building the team the "right" way for sustained success.
Part of the reason the Miami Dolphins organization brought in Jeff Hafley and made him the head coach has everything to do with the fundamentals that he preaches about practically every time he speaks.
Hafley is arguably one of the most forthcoming head coaches in the league, as he consistently speaks on what he needs out of players, the coaching staff, and himself. Following the Dolphins' third and final preseason game, he had a fiery response to how he views building the team the "right" way.
A big reason for a complete regime change was the mediocrity that the Miami organization has been stuck in for over 25 years. Despite making the playoffs, the team has not won a playoff game since the year 2000.
This is the longest drought in the NFL, and no team wants to be associated with. That has been the reality for the Dolphins, and owner Stephen Ross chose to fire longtime general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel and brought in Jon-Eric Sullivan and Hafley.
The idea behind both hires was to find a pair of leaders who could build the team in a way that they remain a threat in the AFC for the foreseeable future.
While that will be difficult to do in 2026, given how Sullivan took over a very complicated cap situation. The bulk of the Dolphins' roster is full of low-cost veterans who have been cycled out since free agency began in March.
For Hafley, the goal is simple: build sustained success by teaching how to do things the right way through hard work.
"We and I want to win everything that we do, but success is not just defined by winning. Winning for sure, right? That's why we play the game. And I think every competitor wants to win in everything that we do. But it's kind of like what I was just talking about before. We're going to compete. I want to win everything that we do. I've said that over and over, but at the same time, we need to make sure that this foundation and the process is built the right way," Hafley said.
Hafley has been stating since he took over that he wants to build a foundation of getting the process and details right. This was one of his disappointments from the second preseason game, as the Dolphins struggled to get anything going on either side of the ball.
Hafley's message to the players was that they have a golden opportunity to take advantage of making the roster, while other players could work themselves into a roster elsewhere. That message was clearly heard, and the Miami team that is rife with injuries and the same veterans, played hard against the Atlanta Falcons.
The Dolphins head coach was far more impressed and again made mention of the position in which players may find themselves in during cutdown day on Aug. 30.
What makes the second-to-third preseason game jump so significant is the way in which players have bought into what Hafley was saying.
Whether or not those players remain on this Dolphins team, they are ready to buy into Hafley's plan, no matter how long-term it may be.
"And like I was saying, that there's no shortcuts because it's bigger than that right now. And those are the things that are really important as we move this thing forward and we build and we find out who we have what we have because we want to get back on top. And to do that, you got to go through some hard stuff with competing in mind to win in everything that we do. But keeping the main thing our process in the detail and the toughness and not taking any shortcuts and not flinching along the way regardless of what happens," Hafley said.
The Dolphins are predicted to be one of the worst, if not the worst, teams in the NFL in 2026. That remains to be seen, but one thing is glaringly obvious: the team is buying into what Hafley is selling.
While the bones of the roster may not be where it needs to be, the team could surprise many by playing the kind of tough and gritty football that Hafley has designed. It may take some time for this all to gel together, but the Dolphins may be able to build a sustained winner in the near future.
