The opener. You’ve made it. Sunday in Indianapolis opens the gift of a new Miami Dolphins season and it’s your choice in these final hours before reality hits to see whatever you want in this team: bright, blue-sky potential or danger-signals flashing, dark clouds or silver linings.
It’s the day anything can happen and, around this franchise, everything has of late. But let’s take these final hours before reality happens to ignore the low expectations for this team when high hopes sound more fitting to the moment.
Here’s my annual wish list for this Dolphins season as the opener looms:
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa plays all 17 regular-season games.
Coach Mike McDaniel wins enough to sound funny again.
Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver makes chicken salad out of this secondary.
Tyreek Hill is the 2023 Tyreek Hill who averaged 15.1 yards a catch with 13 touchdowns and not the 2024 Tyreek Hill who averaged 11.8 yards a catch with six touchdowns and repeated instances of showing up late to meetings and practice.
Indianapolis, Cleveland, New Orleans and the New York Jets are as bad as advertised, meaning the Dolphins have a scheduled step to five wins — or half they’ll probably need to make the playoffs.
Edge rusher Jaelan Phillips’ body allows him to become the game-wrecking force he can be.
Linebacker Jordyn Brooks gets some acclaim for his good play.
There’s no need to judge the depth behind left tackle Patrick Paul, who fills in nicely for the departed Terron Armstead.
For that matter, here’s wishing the five starting offensive linemen Sunday can stay healthy, for once, and grow as a unit in a manner this team hasn’t seen since 2016. That line led the way to a surprise playoff berth in Adam Gase’s first year. Why not?
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No one needs to talk of players being late to meetings.
No one needs to talk of concussions.
No one needs to talk of the two-deep-safety defense that’s been around since leather helmets confounding the Dolphins offense.
No one talks any more about who the Dolphins leaders are like was again overdone when captains were picked this past week. Captains? Who cares in pro sports? The leaders at this level are players who everyone looks to make the play with the game on the line.
The Dolphins don’t fear running the ball on third-and-one anymore.
The defense doesn’t finish 30th in creating turnovers again.
The 4-16 Dolphins record against playoff teams in recent years regresses to a gentler mathematical mean.
Cold weather in Pittsburgh and New England is a lost narrative.
Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick returns to the team that drafted him and to the style of Pro Bowl play that defined his career until lately.
This draft class gets put with the great ones in team history right from the opener with four big contributors expected: Defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, guard Jonah Savaiinaea, cornerback Jason Marshall Jr., and running back Ollie Gordon II.
Indianapolis quarterback Daniel Jones is the New York Giants’ Daniel Jones.
Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers is the New York Jets’ Aaron Rodgers.
It’s 90 degrees and sunny at 1 p.m. for two dates on the home schedule: against New England Sept. 14 and against the Los Angeles Chargers Oct. 12. The South Florida weather coupled with Hard Rock Stadium’s sun-scorching visiting bench makes for the greatest homefield advantage in sports.
Tight end Darren Waller becomes everything he hoped and the Dolphins envisioned in coming out of retirement.
No one is surprised in December that general manager Chris Grier isn’t on the hot seat. Or McDaniel.
Steve Ross’ show of patience pays off so he needn’t send another statement about the “status quo” not being good enough.
Zach Wilson is a good arm out of the bullpen if needed.
The 25th year without a playoff win doesn’t turn the corner toward a 26th season.
Finally, on Opening Day, after eight months of offseason, what you’re really hoping for is simply this:
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/09/06/dave-hyde-my-wish-list-for-the-2025-miami-dolphins/
