Dolphins toxic culture is 'a feud waiting to happen', says CBS Sports in scathing take | Sporting News

The Miami Dolphins' tumultuous front office decisions and ongoing cultural issues suggest potential struggles for the team moving forward. With head coach Mike McDaniel under pressure and the team enduring long playoff droughts, punters might consider betting against the Dolphins in the upcoming season, especially if they fail to make significant improvements during the offseason.

The Miami Dolphins have been one of the most intriguing teams to watch this offseason in terms of the moves they’ve made. Players in the locker room believe they have the roster to turn things around, but the front office continues to make questionable decisions.

All of this is unfolding while head coach Mike McDaniel potentially enters his final season in Miami. “All of those now put a tremendous amount of pressure on McDaniel, who is coming off his first under .500 season with the Dolphins, who were also on the outside looking in on the playoffs. We already listed McDaniel as a head coach with one of the hottest seats in the NFL entering 2025, and the road to save his job just got even more difficult,” CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan wrote.

Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill believes this year will be different, and he’s determined to lead a cultural shift within the team. “This year as one of the leaders, I told the guys, it's time to change who we are as a team. It's time to change the narrative about we are not able to play in cold weather, we are not a physical team. So, I'm tired of that narrative. I'm tired of living behind not being able to go to the playoffs and win in Miami,” Hill said.

However, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin emphasized that the problems in Miami run much deeper than just one bad season. “Except this isn't a one-year issue with Miami. Set aside the iffy football decisions, like Grier's inability to field a stable offensive line or properly manage high-profile salaries over the course of a nine-year tenure featuring exactly zero playoff victories. Just from a culture perspective, Miami has been the NFL equivalent of an accident -- a controversy, a feud, a drama -- waiting to happen,” Benjamin wrote.

The Dolphins haven’t won a playoff game since 2000, and unless the culture truly changes, that drought could very well continue. Right now, it seems like the locker room in Miami is on fire — and not because of the warm weather outside.

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