Dolphins' Zach Sieler Out For Season With Ruptured Biceps

The Miami Dolphins have been steadily competitive in 2026, mainly due to how the defense has played thus far. However, the defense just took a big hit.

Defensive leader and veteran Zach Sieler is now out for the rest of the 2026 season. It was revealed that Sieler suffered a ruptured biceps and will undergo season-ending surgery.

The report indicates that Sieler will be out for five to six months. 

Sieler has been one of the biggest players for the Dolphins since his arrival in 2019. He was also awarded a three-year, $64 million contract in August 2025.

There were plenty of rumors that the Dolphins may have been considering moving Sieler at the trade deadline, but those reports were never corroborated. In fact, the opposite was also reported, as the organization considered the veteran to be one of the leaders and a necessary piece.

If there was a chance that Sieler would have been traded, that chance is now completely gone, as the defensive lineman will now have to recover from bicep surgery.

Sieler secured 24 total tackles and two sacks through eight games thus far this season.

The Dolphins' pass rush has been one of the weakest elements of the defense in 2026, but the team began to figure things out over the last three games. The team has brought in eight sacks over the last three contests.

With Sieler out, the pass rush will take a sizable hit. 

Sieler out will lead to more young talent getting snaps, as the Dolphins will likely rely more heavily on Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers. 

Biggers just picked up his first sack of the 2026 season against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

With the NFL trade deadline now here on Tuesday, it will be interesting to see if this Miami team will make any moves considering the loss of Sieler. It would go against what the team has been building thus far this season, and the more likely route is to find more talent via the waiver wire and free agents,

Still, the Dolphins have been close to winning multiple games, so the team may believe that they need to sign some players to see if they can truly compete more down the stretch. 

Either way, losing Sieler is a massive hit to a Dolphins team that was starting to look better every single week. While the team only has one win, they are inching closer to many more.