Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins
Current season
Established August 16, 1965; 56 years ago (1965-08-16)[1] First season: 1966 Play in Hard Rock Stadium Miami Gardens, Florida Headquartered in Miami Gardens, Florida
Logo Wordmark
League/conference affiliations
American Football League (1966–1969) Eastern Division (1966–1969) National Football League (1970–present) American Football Conference (1970–present) AFC East (1970–present)
Current uniform
Team colors	Aqua, orange, white, marine blue[2][3][4]
Fight song	Miami Dolphins #1
Mascot	T. D.
Personnel
Owner(s)	Stephen M. Ross
Chairman	Stephen M. Ross
CEO	Tom Garfinkel
Head coach	Brian Flores
General manager	Chris Grier
Team history
Miami Dolphins (1966–present)
Team nicknames
The No-Name Defense (Defense 1970s) The Killer Bees Defense (Defense 1980s) Phins Fins
Championships
League championships (2) Super Bowl championships (2) 1972 (VII), 1973 (VIII)
Conference championships (5) AFC: 1971, 1972, 1973, 1982, 1984
Division championships (13) AFC East: 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1992, 1994, 2000, 2008
Playoff appearances (23)
NFL: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2008, 2016
Home fields
Miami Orange Bowl (1966–1986) Hard Rock Stadium (1987–present)

The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team plays its home games at Hard Rock Stadium, located in the northern suburb of Miami Gardens, Florida. The team is currently owned by Stephen M. Ross. The Dolphins are the oldest professional sports team in Florida. Of the four AFC East teams, the Dolphins are the only team in the division that was not a charter member of the American Football League (AFL). The Dolphins were also the first football team in the southeast, along with the Atlanta Falcons.

The Dolphins were founded by attorney-politician Joe Robbie and actor-comedian Danny Thomas. They began play in the AFL in 1966. The region had not had a professional football team since the days of the Miami Seahawks, who played in the All-America Football Conference in 1946, before becoming the first incarnation of the Baltimore Colts. For the first few years, the Dolphins' full-time training camp and practice facilities were at Saint Andrew's School, a private, boys boarding prep school in Boca Raton. Miami joined the NFL as a result of the 1970 AFL–NFL merger.

The team played in its first Super Bowl in Super Bowl VI, losing to the Dallas Cowboys, 24–3. The following year, the Dolphins completed the NFL's only perfect season, culminating in a Super Bowl win, winning all 14 of their regular-season games, and all three of their playoff games, including Super Bowl VII. They were the third NFL team to accomplish a perfect regular season, and the first team to do so after the AFL-NFL merger, the time known as the Super Bowl era. The next year, the Dolphins won Super Bowl VIII, becoming the first team to appear in three consecutive Super Bowls, and the second team (the first AFL/AFC team) to win back-to-back championships. Miami also appeared in Super Bowl XVII and Super Bowl XIX, losing both games.

For most of their early history, the Dolphins were coached by Don Shula, the most successful head coach in professional football history in terms of total games won. Under Shula, the Dolphins posted losing records in only two of his 26 seasons as the head coach. During the period spanning 1983 to the end of 1999, quarterback Dan Marino became one of the most prolific passers in NFL history, breaking numerous league passing records. Marino led the Dolphins to five division titles, 10 playoff appearances, and an appearance in Super Bowl XIX before retiring following the 1999 season.

In 2008, the Dolphins became the first team in NFL history to win their division and make a playoff appearance following a league-worst 1–15 season. That same season, the Dolphins upset the New England Patriots on the road during Week 3 thanks to the use of the gimmick Wildcat offense, which handed the Patriots their first regular-season loss since December 10, 2006, in which coincidentally, they were also beaten by the Dolphins. To date, 2008 is also the last season the Dolphins won the AFC East.

History[]

The Miami Dolphins joined the American Football League (AFL) when an expansion franchise was awarded to lawyer Joseph Robbie and actor Danny Thomas in 1965 for $7.5 million, although Thomas would eventually sell his stake in the team to Robbie.^[5] During the summer of 1966, the Dolphins' training camp was in St. Pete Beach with practices in August at Boca Ciega High School in Gulfport.^[6]

The Dolphins had a combined 15–39–2 record in their first four seasons under head coach George Wilson, before Don Shula was hired as head coach. Shula was a Paul Brown disciple who had been lured from the Baltimore Colts, after losing Super Bowl III two seasons earlier to the AFL's New York Jets, and finishing 8–5–1 the following season. Shula got his first NFL coaching job from then-Detroit head coach George Wilson, who hired him as the defensive coordinator. The AFL merged with the NFL in 1970, and the Dolphins were assigned to the AFC East division in the NFL's new American Football Conference.

For the rest of the 20th century, the Shula-led Dolphins emerged as one of the most dominant teams in the NFL with a strong running game and defense, with only two losing seasons between 1970 and 1999. They were extremely successful in the 1970s, completing the first complete perfect season in NFL history by finishing with a 14–0 regular-season record in 1972 and winning the Super Bowl that year. It was the first of two consecutive Super Bowl wins and one of three appearances in a row. The 1980s and 1990s were also moderately successful. The early 80s teams made two Super Bowls despite losing both times and saw the emergence of future Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino, who went on to break numerous NFL passing records, holding many of them until the late 2000s. After winning every game against the division rival Buffalo Bills in the 1970s, the two teams gradually developed a competitive rivalry in the 80s and 90s, often competing for AFC supremacy when Jim Kelly emerged as the quarterback for the Bills. The Dolphins have also maintained a strong rivalry with the New York Jets throughout much of their history.

Following the retirements of Marino and Shula and the rise of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, the Dolphins suffered a decline in the 2000s, including a 1–15 season in 2007 that was the worst in franchise history, and had almost made them the first 0–16 team in the NFL. They only made the playoffs three times in that decade and were unable to find a consistent quarterback to replace Marino, shuffling 13 quarterbacks and five head coaches. However, the Dolphins have been competitive against the Patriots despite their decline, with notable wins coming in 2004, 2008, 2014, 2018, and 2019. Until 2020, they were also the last team in the AFC East to win the division championship aside from the Patriots, doing so in 2008. While quarterback Ryan Tannehill provided some stability at the position in his seven seasons with the Dolphins, the team has nonetheless been mediocre, only having made the playoffs once during the 2010s.

Super Bowls[]

Year	Coach	Super Bowl	Location	Opponent	Score	Record
1971	Don Shula	VI	Tulane Stadium (New Orleans)	Dallas Cowboys	L 3–24	10–3–1
1972		VII	L.A. Memorial Coliseum (Los Angeles)	Washington Redskins	W 14–7	17–0
1973		VIII	Rice Stadium (Houston)	Minnesota Vikings	W 24–7	15–2
1982		XVII	Rose Bowl (Pasadena)	Washington Redskins	L 17–27	7–2[a]
1984		XIX	Stanford Stadium (Stanford)	San Francisco 49ers	L 16–38	14–2
Total Super Bowls record:						2–3

AFC Championships[]

Year	Coach	Location	Opponent	Score	Record
1971	Don Shula	Miami	Baltimore Colts	21–0	12–4–1
1972		Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh Steelers	21–17	17–0
1973		Miami	Oakland Raiders	27–10	15–2
1982			New York Jets	14–0	10–3
1984			Pittsburgh Steelers	45–28	16–3
Total AFC Championships won:				5

Rivalries[]

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The Dolphins share intense rivalries with their three AFC East opponents, but also have had historical or occasional rivalries with other teams such as their cross-state rivals Tampa Bay Buccaneers, their former divisional rivals Indianapolis Colts, the Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers, Oakland/Los Angeles/Las Vegas Raiders, and to a lesser extent, the Jacksonville Jaguars.^[7]

Divisional rivalries[]

Buffalo Bills[]

The Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills have a long-standing rivalry, as there are stark characteristic differences between the cities of Miami and Buffalo, especially in climate and culture. The rivalry was extremely lopsided in favor of Miami during the 1970s, as the Dolphins won all 20 games against the Bills during that decade. Fortunes changed in the 1980s and 1990s when Jim Kelly became the Bills' starting quarterback. Though both teams were extremely dominant during that period, the Bills ultimately held the edge and dominated the Dolphins during their four playoff match-ups in the 1990s, with the Dolphins' only playoff win coming after Kelly's retirement. With the rise of Tom Brady and the Patriots during the 2000s and the retirements of Kelly and Dolphins' great Dan Marino, the Bills-Dolphins rivalry has faded in relevance, but remains somewhat intense to this day. Some former Dolphins have gone to play for the Bills as well, most notably Dan Carpenter, Chris Hogan, and Charles Clay.

New England Patriots[]

The Dolphins dominated the New England Patriots during the 1970s and the 1990s, but there were some notable moments as well, including a game now known as the Snowplow Game. Fortunes changed when Tom Brady became the franchise quarterback for the Patriots, and since then, the Patriots have virtually dominated the AFC, especially the AFC East. Miami did pose more of a challenge to the Brady-led Patriots in the 2000s, however, winning more games against them than the Bills or Jets did during that decade. Notable wins over New England by the Dolphins include the Miracle in Miami, which involved a dramatic last-minute game-winning touchdown that paralleled "The Night that Courage Wore Orange", where in 2004, the Dolphins, at 2–11, upset the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots 28–29, and handed them the second of their 2 losses that season.^[8] The rivalry briefly intensified in 2005 when Nick Saban, Bill Belichick's former Browns defensive coordinator was hired as their new head coach and when Saban nearly signed quarterback Drew Brees, as well as in 2008, when the two teams battled for the AFC East division title. Miami and New England are also the only two franchises to have posted undefeated regular-season records since the NFL-AFL merger, with Miami going 14–0 in 1972 and New England going 16–0 in 2007, but only the 1972 Dolphins were able to win the Super Bowl.

New York Jets[]

The New York Jets are perhaps Miami's most bitter rivals. Dolphins fans despise the Jets due to the sheer amount of New York City transplants who have moved to South Florida and the Jets' usual cocky demeanor. Just as the Bills-Dolphins rivalry is motivated by differences, the Dolphins-Jets series is also notable for the differences between New York and Miami. Unlike the former, this rivalry has been more consistent over the years. Some of the more memorable moments in this rivalry include Dan Marino's fake spike, Vinny Testaverde leading the Jets to a notable comeback on Monday Night Football, and former Jets quarterback Chad Pennington signing with the Dolphins and leading them to a divisional title. The two teams have also played in the 1982 AFC Championship, with Miami winning to face the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVII.

Other[]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers[]

Since the founding of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1976, the Dolphins and Buccaneers have shared a mellow in-state rivalry and were the only two teams in Florida until the Jacksonville Jaguars joined the NFL in 1995.

Other AFC rivals[]

The Dolphins have also had history against other AFC teams. When the Baltimore Colts were inserted into the AFC East following the AFL/NFL merger, they sparked a heated rivalry with the Dolphins, as a controversy involving the hiring of former Colts coach Don Shula forced Miami to forfeit a first-round draft pick. The Dolphins and Colts faced off several times in the AFC playoffs during the 1970s, including the AFC championship game leading up to Super Bowl VI, which the Dolphins lost to the Dallas Cowboys. The rivalry cooled down in the 1980s after the Colts struggled and moved to Indianapolis, but heated up once again in the late 90s until the Colts were reassigned into the AFC South as a result of the 2002 realignment of the NFL's divisions.

The Dolphins also share historic rivalries with the Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, and Pittsburgh Steelers, stemming from often competing against these teams in the playoffs during the Don Shula era.

Facilities[]

Stadiums[]

The Dolphins originally played all home games in the Orange Bowl in Miami. They moved to the new Joe Robbie Stadium after the 1986 season. From 1993 to 2011, the Dolphins shared the stadium with Major League Baseball's Florida Marlins. The venue has had multiple naming rights deals since 1996, carrying the names Pro Player Stadium, Dolphins Stadium, Dolphin Stadium, LandShark Stadium, Sun Life Stadium, New Miami Stadium and, as of August 2016, Hard Rock Stadium. The facility is located in Miami Gardens, a suburb of Miami located approximately 15 miles (24 km) north of downtown Miami. The Miami Dolphins share Hard Rock Stadium with the NCAA Miami Hurricanes. The 2015–2016 season was the first season in the newly renovated Hard Rock Stadium. The Dolphins spent more than two years and over $400 million on a major overhaul to Hard Rock Stadium. Every seat was replaced and the lower-level seats were moved closer to the field. There are roughly 10,000 fewer seats.^[9]

Training[]

St. Petersburg Beach hosted the Dolphins' first training camp in 1966. St. Andrew's School in Boca Raton hosted training camp in the late 1960s. The Dolphins subsequently trained in Miami Gardens at Biscayne College, later renamed St. Thomas University, from 1970 until 1993.

In 1993, the Dolphins opened the Miami Dolphins Training Facility at Nova Southeastern University in Davie. In 2006, the facility added a domed field that allows the team to practice during thunderstorms which are common in the area during the summer.^[10]

In 2021, the Dolphins opened a new, 135 million training facility, dubbed the Baptist Health Training Complex, the Dolphins will practice.

Franchise information[]

Logos and uniforms[]

Leaping dolphin (1966–2012)[]

The Dolphins logo and uniforms remained fairly consistent from the team's founding through 2012. The team's colors were originally aqua and coral, with the coral color paying tribute to the Miami Seahawks and to the many natural coral reefs in Biscayne Bay. The team's original logo consisted of a sunburst with a leaping dolphin wearing a football helmet bearing the letter M. At their debut in 1966, a lighter & brighter orange was used instead of the deep coral color. The dolphin's head was near the center of the sunburst. In the 1967 season, the dolphin was centered on the sunburst, but it reverted to the original placement between 1968 and 1973. By 1974, the dolphin's body was centered on the sunburst in a slightly smaller logo than the 1967 version. The uniforms featured white pants with aqua and orange stripes, paired with either a white or aqua jersey. On the white jersey, aqua block numbers and names were outlined in orange, with aqua and orange sleeve stripes. Starting with the 1972 perfect season, these uniforms were used as the primary uniforms for road games and daytime home games, due to the extreme heat of South Florida. The team also had an aqua jersey used mainly for night home games or road games in which the opponent chose to wear white. The aqua jersey featured white block numbers and names with an orange outline, and orange and white sleeve stripes.

An update was given to the logo in 1997 – the sunburst was simplified and the dolphin was darkened and given a more serious game-face expression.^[11] The uniforms remained the same, however a different block number font was used and navy drop shadows were added.

On very rare occasions, an orange jersey was used for primetime games. The uniforms essentially swapped the location of orange and aqua from the aqua jersey. The orange jersey was first used on a Sunday night in 2003 against Washington, a Dolphin win. In 2004, the orange jersey was brought back for an Monday Night Football match pitting the 2–11 Dolphins against the 12–1 defending champion New England Patriots. The Dolphins scored a huge upset win after trailing by 11 points with less than 5 minutes remaining. Due to the unusual orange jerseys, the game has become known within some Dolphin circles as "The Night That Courage Wore Orange".^[12] The orange jerseys were used for a 2009 Monday night win against the New York Jets. However, the Dolphins would lose a 2010 Sunday night matchup with the Jets, their first loss in orange, and the orange jerseys in the original style would not be worn again.

In 2009, the Dolphins switched to black shoes for the first time since the early 1970s glory days, following a recent trend among NFL teams. However, by 2011, they returned to wearing white shoes.

The Dolphins' final game in the original style uniforms with block numbers and the iconic leaping dolphin logo was the final game of the 2012 season, a 28–0 shutout loss to the New England Patriots in Foxboro. The white jerseys were worn for the game, and as rumors of a new look had been swirling, many fans watching knew that it would likely be the last time their team would wear the leaping dolphin logo.

Stylized swimming dolphin (2013–present)[]

A radically new logo and new uniforms were unveiled shortly before the 2013 NFL Draft.^[13][14][15] The new logo features a stylized aqua dolphin swimming in front of a heavily modified version of the orange sunburst. The dolphin in the logo is more vague and artistic, and is not wearing a helmet as it is merely a silhouette of a dolphin cast in aqua and navy.

Navy was incorporated as featured color for the first time, with orange becoming greatly de-emphasized. The uniforms feature both white pants and aqua pants, with a white or aqua jersey. The Dolphins continue to wear white at home, just as they had with the previous uniforms, with aqua being used for primetime home games. The white jersey features aqua numbers and names in a unique custom font, with orange and navy outlines on the numbers; however, the names only use navy as an outline color. The aqua jerseys use white numbers with an orange and aqua outline, and white names with a navy outline. The helmets are white with a white facemask, just like the final years of the previous look, however navy is a prominent color on the helmet stripe, joining aqua and a de-emphasized orange. Both jerseys have large "Dolphins" text above the numbers, written in the team's new script. The pants are either aqua or white, and contain no markings other than a small team wordmark.^[16]

In 2018, the team made some slight modifications to the logo and uniform set: The shades of orange and aqua were tweaked, and navy blue was removed from the color scheme, only remaining on the logo.^[17]

Throwback uniforms[]

In 2015, the Dolphins brought back their 1970s aqua uniforms for a few select games. Four years later, they brought back a white version from the same era as a second alternate uniform. The aqua throwbacks were worn during the now-famous 2018 Miracle in Miami play against the Patriots.

Fight song[]

The song was written and composed by Lee Ofman, and has similar instrumentation and lyrics to the fight song of the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans). Ofman approached the Dolphins with it before the 1972 season because he wanted music to inspire his favorite team. The fight song would soon serve as a good luck charm for the Dolphins that season. The Dolphins became the first team in NFL history to record an undefeated season, going 17–0 en route to victory over the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII. The following season, Miami posted an equally impressive 15–2 record and capped the season with another title, defeating the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl VIII. The back-to-back championship runs, coupled with the popularity of the fight song amongst Dolphins fans, have ensured the song's longevity. The Dolphins revealed a new fight song by T-Pain and Jimmy Buffett featuring Pitbull on August 7, 2009, which was introduced for the 2009 NFL season.^[18] The fight song was played during the preseason home opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on August 17, 2009, but was not played during the second preseason game against the Carolina Panthers on August 22, 2009, after being booed heavily in the first game. Furthermore, the team has preferred to play Buffett's song "Fins" after scores during the 2009 regular season instead of the traditional fight song. The Dolphins shorthand nickname, "The Fins," has been recognized and used by the team.^{[citation needed]}

Cheerleaders[]

The team's cheerleaders are known collectively as the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders.^[19] The company had its debut in 1978 as the Dolphins Starbrites. (The name referred to the co-sponsor, Starbrite Car Polish.) The cheerleaders' founding choreographer was June Taylor, famed colleague of Jackie Gleason, who led the squad until her retirement in 1990.

Special Teams/Volunteer Program[]

In April 2010, the Dolphins started the first Volunteer Program in the NFL. Special Teams is a unique volunteer organization created to enlist and mobilize the ongoing services of the community with the Dolphins staff, players and alumni. The mission of the Special Teams is to offer hands-on services to communities and families in need, to partner with existing organizations on worthwhile social, civic and charitable programs, to provide assistance at Miami Dolphins Foundation events, and to support community efforts in times of emergency. This program is headed by Leslie Nixon and Sergio Xiques. Since its inception, Special Teams has given over 250,000 community services hours to the South Florida and Mexico community.^[20]

Mascots[]

T.D.[]

("The Dolphin") On Friday, April 18, 1997, the first "official" mascot of the Miami Dolphins was introduced. The 7-foot mascot made his public debut on April 19 at Pro Player Stadium during the team's draft-day party. The team then made a "Name the Mascot" contest that drew over 13,000 entries covering all 50 states and 22 countries. 529 names were suggested. The winning entry was announced at the annual Dolphins Awards Banquet on June 4, 1997.

Dolfan Denny[]

Denny Sym cheered on the Miami Dolphins for 33 years as a one-man sideline show, leading Miami crowds in cheers and chants in his glittering coral (orange) and aqua hat from the Dolphins’ first game in 1966 until 2000. Sym died on March 18, 2007. He was 72.^[21]

Flipper[]

From 1966 to 1968, and in the 1970s a live dolphin was situated in a water tank in the open (east) end of the Orange Bowl. He would jump in the tank to celebrate touchdowns and field goals. The tank that was set up in the 1970s was manufactured by Evan Bush and maintained during the games by Evan Bush and Dene Whitaker. Flipper was removed from the Orange Bowl after 1968 to save costs, and the 1970s due to stress.

Radio and television[]

In August 2010, the team launched its own regional TV "network". The Dolphins Television Network comprises 10 South Florida TV stations that agreed to carry the team-produced coverage.^[22] Preseason games are broadcast on television through WFOR in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, WTVX in West Palm Beach, WBBH in Fort Myers, and WRDQ in Orlando. Longtime TV and radio personality Dick Stockton provides play-by-play commentary, with Dolphins Hall-of-Fame QB Bob Griese and former Dolphins WR Nat Moore providing color commentary. The radio broadcast team features Jimmy Cefalo providing play-by-play commentary and Joe Rose providing color commentary during preseason games, along with Griese for regular-season games.^[23] Griese replaced longtime color commentator Jim Mandich, who played for the Dolphins under Don Shula. Mandich lost his fight with cancer in 2011, opening the door for Griese as his replacement. Radio coverage is provided on WQAM-AM 560 and WKIS-FM 99.9. Additionally, games can also be heard in Spanish on WNMA-AM 1210, with Raúl Striker Jr. and Joaquin Duro providing play-by-play and color commentary, respectively.

Preseason games are aired on CBS owned WFOR as does the regular season on the same station. If the team hosts an interconference opponent or plays on a Thursday night, WSVN, the local Fox affiliate will have the games being televised. When playing on Sunday night, the team's matches will be broadcast on WTVJ, the NBC O&O station.

The Dolphins' radio affiliates:^[24][25]

English[]

City	Call Sign	Frequency
Miami/Fort Lauderdale	WQAM-AM	560 AM
	WKIS-FM	99.9 FM
Fort Myers	WRXK-FM	96.1 FM
Key West	WKWF-AM	1600 AM
Orlando	WDBO-AM	580 AM
Port St. Lucie	WPSL-AM	1590 AM
West Palm Beach	WUUB-FM	106.3 FM

Spanish[]

City	Call Sign	Frequency
Miami/Fort Lauderdale	WNMA-AM	1210 AM
West Palm Beach	WEFL-AM	760 AM

Season-by-season records[]

Players[]

Current roster[]

Miami Dolphins roster

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Quarterbacks 14 Jacoby Brissett  1 Tua Tagovailoa Running backs 26 Salvon Ahmed 34 Malcolm Brown 37 Myles Gaskin Wide receivers 19 Jakeem Grant RS 86 Mack Hollins 11 DeVante Parker 17 Jaylen Waddle 18 Preston Williams  2 Albert Wilson Tight ends 82 Cethan Carter 88 Mike Gesicki 84 Hunter Long 81 Durham Smythe

Offensive linemen 77 Jesse Davis RT 63 Michael Deiter C 74 Liam Eichenberg T 68 Robert Hunt RG 65 G 66 Solomon Kindley LG 75 Greg Little T 62 Greg Mancz C Defensive linemen 70 Adam Butler DE 98 Raekwon Davis NT 90 John Jenkins NT 91 Emmanuel Ogbah DE 92 Zach Sieler DE 94 Christian Wilkins DE

Linebackers 55 Jerome Baker ILB 49 Samuel Eguavoen ILB 15 Jaelan Phillips OLB 45 Duke Riley ILB 52 Elandon Roberts ILB 57 Brennan Scarlett OLB 43 Andrew Van Ginkel OLB Defensive backs 22 Elijah Campbell CB 27 Justin Coleman CB 42 Clayton Fejedelem SS  8 Jevon Holland FS 25 Xavien Howard CB  9 Noah Igbinoghene CB 29 Brandon Jones SS 24 Byron Jones CB 30 Jason McCourty FS 40 Nik Needham CB 21 Eric Rowe SS  6 Trill Williams CB Special teams 44 Blake Ferguson LS  5 Michael Palardy P  7 Jason Sanders K

Reserve lists  6 Lynn Bowden WR (IR) 79 Larnel Coleman OT (IR)  3 Will Fuller WR (Suspended)  8 Allen Hurns WR (IR) 73 Austin Jackson LT (COVID-19) 80 Adam Shaheen TE (COVID-19) Practice squad 38 CB 23 Gerrid Doaks RB 76 ILB 87 Isaiah Ford WR 20 Shaquem Griffin ILB 67 Bobby Hart OT 95 Benito Jones NT 32 Patrick Laird RB 83 Kirk Merritt WR 48 Calvin Munson ILB 78 Adam Pankey OT (Injured) 33 Jamal Perry CB 89 Brandon Powell WR 69 G (Int.) 97 Jabaal Sheard OLB  4 Reid Sinnett QB 76 OT 64 Cameron Tom C 31 FB Rookies in italics Roster updated September 6, 2021 Depth chart Transactions 51 active, 6 inactive, 16 practice squad (+2 exempt) → AFC rosters → NFC rosters

Pro Football Hall of Famers[]

The Dolphins currently have nine players, and one coach enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, that have spent the majority (or entirety) of their careers, or made significant contributions with the Miami Dolphins. Three other players and four contributors that have spent only a "minor portion" of their careers with the Dolphins, and have been enshrined primarily with other teams, have also been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Miami Dolphins Hall of Famers
Players
No.	Name	College	Position	Season(s)	Inducted
42	Paul Warfield	Ohio State	WR	1970–1974	1983
39	Larry Csonka	Syracuse	FB	1968–1974, 1979	1987
62	Jim Langer	South Dakota State	C	1970–1979	1987
12	Bob Griese	Purdue	QB	1967–1980	1990
66	Larry Little	Bethune-Cookman	G	1969–1980	1993
57	Dwight Stephenson	Alabama	C	1980–1987	1998
85	Nick Buoniconti	Notre Dame	LB	1969–1974, 1976	2001
13	Dan Marino	Pittsburgh	QB	1983–1999	2005
99	Jason Taylor	Akron	DE	1997–2007, 2009, 2011	2017
Coaches and Executives
Name		College	Position	Season(s)	Inducted
Don Shula		John Carroll	Head Coach	1970–1995	1997

Miami Dolphins Hall of Famers who were inducted for other teams
Players
No.	Name	College	Position(s)	Season(s)	Inducted
34	Thurman Thomas	Oklahoma State	RB	2000	2007
88	Cris Carter	Ohio State	WR	2002	2013
55	Junior Seau	USC	LB	2003–2005	2015
Coaches and Executives
Name		College	Position(s)	Season(s)	Inducted
Bill Parcells		Wichita State	Executive VP of Football Operations	2008–2010	2013
Bobby Beathard		Cal Poly	Director of Player Personnel	1972–1977	2018
Jimmy Johnson		Arkansas	Head Coach	1996–1999	2020
George Young		Bucknell	Director of Personnel and Pro Scouting	1975–1978	2020

Retired numbers[]

The Miami Dolphins currently have three retired jersey numbers:

• No. 12 for Bob Griese, which was retired on a Monday Night Football broadcast in 1985.
• No. 13 for Dan Marino, which was retired on September 17, 2000, during halftime of the "Ravens @ Dolphins" game on Sunday Night Football.
• No. 39 for Larry Csonka, which was retired on December 9, 2002 (30th anniversary of Miami's "1972 Undefeated Team"), during halftime of the "Bears @ Dolphins" game on Monday Night Football.

Miami Dolphins retired numbers v t
Bob Griese QB 1967–1980 Purdue	Dan Marino QB 1983–1999 Pittsburgh	Larry Csonka FB 1968-1974, 1979 Syracuse

The Dolphins have other numbers that have currently not been issued to any player, or are currently in reduced circulation. They include:^[26]

• No. 54 for Zach Thomas
• No. 99 for Jason Taylor

Miami Dolphins Individual Awards[]

Bold indicates those elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Miami Dolphins NFL All-Decade Team and 100 All-Time Team Selections[]

The following are Miami Dolphins (players and/or coaches) who have been selected to an "All-Decade Team", or the NFL 100 All-Time Team by the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee. Bold indicates those elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Pro Bowl selections[]

Many former and current Miami Dolphins players have represented the franchise in the Pro Bowl. Below is a list of current or former players that play or have played for the Miami Dolphins that have been selected to multiple Pro Bowls. Bold indicates those elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Miami Dolphins Pro Bowl selections
No. of Pro Bowls	Player	Position	Tenure	Pro Bowl Years
9	Dan Marino	QB	1983–1999	1983–1987 1991–1992 1994–1995
8	Bob Griese	QB	1967–1980	1967–1968 1970–1971 1973–1974 1977–1978
7	Zach Thomas	LB	1996–2007	1999–2003 2005–2006
7	Richmond Webb	OT	1990–2000	1990–1996
6	Bob Kuechenberg	G	1970–1984	1974–1975 1977–1978 1982–1983
6	Jim Langer	C	1970–1979	1973–1978
6	Jason Taylor	DE	1997–2007, 2009, 2011	2000, 2002, 2004–2007
5	Bob Baumhower	DT	1977–1986	1979, 1981–1984
5	Mark Clayton	WR	1983–1992	1984–1986, 1988, 1991
5	Larry Csonka	FB	1968–1974, 1979	1970–1974
5	Larry Little	G	1969–1980	1969, 1971–1974
5	John Offerdahl	LB	1986–1993	1986–1990
5	Jake Scott	S	1970–1975	1971–1975
5	Bill Stanfill	DE	1969–1976	1969, 1971–1974
5	Dwight Stephenson	C	1980–1987	1983–1987
5	Cameron Wake	DE	2009–2018	2010, 2012–2014, 2016
5	Paul Warfield	WR	1970–1974	1970–1974
4	Jake Long	OT	2008–2012	2008–2011
4	Sam Madison	CB	1997–2005	1999–2002
4	Ed Newman	G	1973–1984	1981–1984
3	Dick Anderson	S	1968–1977	1971–1973
3	Nick Buoniconti	LB	1969–1974, 1976	1969, 1972–1973
3	Bryan Cox	LB	1991–1995	1992, 1994–1995
3	Mark Duper	WR	1982–1992	1983–1984, 1986
3	Brent Grimes	CB	2013–2015	2013–2015
3	Jarvis Landry	WR	2014–2017	2015–2017
3	Brock Marion	S	1998–2003	2000, 2002–2003
3	Mercury Morris	RB	1969–1975	1971–1973
3	Mike Pouncey	C	2011–2017	2013–2015
3	Keith Sims	G	1990–1997	1993–1995
3	Patrick Surtain	CB	1998–2004	2002–2004
2	Tim Bowens	DT	1994–2004	1998, 2002
2	John Denney	LS	2005–2018	2010, 2012
2	Ferrell Edmunds	TE	1988–1992	1989–1990
2	Norm Evans	T	1966–1975	1972, 1974
2	Roy Foster	G	1982–1990	1985–1986
2	Irving Fryar	WR	1993–1995	1993–1994
2	Xavien Howard	CB	2016–Present	2018, 2020
2	Reshad Jones	S	2010–2019	2015, 2017
2	Jim Kiick	RB	1968–1974	1968–1969
2	Reggie Roby	P	1983–1992	1984, 1989
2	Randy Starks	DT	2008–2014	2010, 2012
2	Garo Yepremian	K	1970–1978	1973, 1978

Notable Miami Dolphins selected to one Pro Bowl:

• WRs Nat Moore, Chris Chambers, and Brandon Marshall
• RBs Ricky Williams, Ronnie Brown, Andra Franklin, Delvin Williams, and Jay Ajayi
• DTs Ndamukong Suh
• DEs Doug Betters, Trace Armstrong, Jeff Cross, and Adewale Ogunleye
• LBs Kim Bokamper, A. J. Duhe, and Joey Porter
• DBs Tim Foley, Yeremiah Bell
• O-Linemen Tim Ruddy, Wayne Moore, Richie Incognito, and Branden Albert
• Ks and Ps Olindo Mare, Dan Carpenter, and Brandon Fields

The Miami Dolphins 50 Greatest Players[]

In 2015, to commemorate the Miami Dolphins' 50th NFL season, the Dolphins organization announced through voting from the South Florida Media and Miami Dolphin fans the results of the 50 greatest players in Miami Dolphins franchise history. The results were announced during halftime on Monday Night Football between the Dolphins and the Giants. Here are the 50 greatest Dolphins broken down by position. Bold indicates those elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.^[27]

Offense:

• QBs Bob Griese, Dan Marino, Earl Morrall
• HBs Jim Kiick, Mercury Morris, Tony Nathan, Ricky Williams
• FBs Larry Csonka
• WRs Mark Clayton, Mark Duper, O.J. McDuffie, Nat Moore, Paul Warfield
• TEs Bruce Hardy, Keith Jackson, Jim Mandich
• Cs Jim Langer, Mike Pouncey, Dwight Stephenson
• Gs Bob Kuechenberg, Larry Little, Ed Newman, Keith Sims
• Ts Norm Evans, Richmond Webb

Defense:

• DTs Bob Baumhower, Tim Bowens, Manny Fernandez
• DEs Doug Betters, Vern Den Herder, Bill Stanfill, Jason Taylor, Cameron Wake
• LBs Kim Bokamper, Bob Brudzinski, Nick Buoniconti, Bryan Cox, A. J. Duhe, John Offerdahl, Zach Thomas
• CBs Brent Grimes, Sam Madison, Patrick Surtain
• Ss Dick Anderson, Glenn Blackwood, Louis Oliver, Jake Scott

Special Teams:

• Ks Garo Yepremian
• Ps Reggie Roby
• STs Jim Jensen

The Miami Dolphins Honor Roll[]

The Miami Dolphins Honor Roll is a ring around the second tier of Hard Rock Stadium that honors former players, coaches, owners and contributors who have made significant contributions to the franchise throughout their history. Bold indicates those elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Each of these players is honored with a placard on the facing of the upper level around Hard Rock Stadium including team founder-owner Joe Robbie. In place of a jersey number, Shula has the number 347, representing his record number of NFL coaching victories, 274 of them as Dolphins head coach.

In 1992, at the 20 year anniversary, Miami's "1972 Undefeated Team" was enshrined into the Honor Roll. At the 40 year anniversary, which enshrined former defensive coordinator Bill Arnsparger into the Honor Roll, his name went on the Honor Roll where the "1972 Undefeated Team" inductee previously and originally was enshrined, and an updated "1972 Perfect Season Team 17–0" inductee was put into one corner of Hard Rock Stadium with special placards of Super Bowl VII and Super Bowl VIII included next to it on each side.

The inductees as of 2014 include:

Miami Dolphins Honor Roll
No.	Name	Position(s)	Years with Club	Inducted
—	Joe Robbie	Owner / Founder	1966–1989	1990
39	Larry Csonka	FB	1968–1974, 1979
12	Bob Griese	QB	1967–1980
62	Jim Langer	C	1970–1979
42	Paul Warfield	WR	1970–1974
85	Nick Buoniconti	LB	1969–1974, 1976	1991
1972 Undefeated Team				1992
66	Larry Little	G	1969–1980	1993
57	Dwight Stephenson	C	1980–1987	1994
67	Bob Kuechenberg	G	1970–1984	1995
347	Don Shula	Head Coach	1970–1995	1996
89	Nat Moore	WR	1974–1986	1999
13	Dan Marino	QB	1983–1999	2000
83	Mark Clayton	WR	1983–1992	2003
85	Mark Duper	WR	1982–1992
40	Dick Anderson	S	1968–1977	2006
78	Richmond Webb	OT	1990–2000
73	Bob Baumhower	DT	1977–1986	2008
75	Doug Betters	DE	1978–1987
13	Jake Scott	S	1970–1975	2010
84	Bill Stanfill	DE	1969–1976
88	Jim Mandich	TE / Radio Broadcaster	1970–1977 / 1992–2004, 2007–2010	2011
—	Bill Arnsparger	Defensive Coordinator	1970–1973 1976–1983	2012
Super Bowl VII Team 1972 Perfect Season Team 17–0 Super Bowl VIII Team			UPDATED 1992 Inductee
99	Jason Taylor	DE	1997–2007, 2009, 2011
54	Zach Thomas	LB	1996–2007
56	John Offerdahl	LB	1986–1993	2013
75	Manny Fernandez	DT	1968–1975	2014

The Joe Robbie Alumni Plaza "Walk of Fame"[]

The Joe Robbie Alumni Plaza Walk of Fame was first established in 2011, designed to be all-encompassing and recognize the best of the Miami Dolphins alumni, including those in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Honor Roll, and as well as the many other players who were among the unsung heroes and community leaders that the organization has produced. The "Walk of Fame" is located at the north end of Hard Rock Stadium, with a life-size bronze statue of Joe Robbie, the original founder and owner of the Miami Dolphins from 1966 to 1989. Bold indicates those elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The inductees as of 2018 (by yearly class) are:

• Class of 2011: Nick Buoniconti, Larry Csonka, Bob Griese, Jim Langer, Larry Little, Joe Robbie, Dan Marino, Don Shula, Dwight Stephenson, Paul Warfield
• Class of 2012: Tim Bowens, A. J. Duhe, Manny Fernandez, Nat Moore, Earl Morrall, Don Strock
• Class of 2013: Kim Bokamper, Mercury Morris, O. J. McDuffie, Keith Sims
• Class of 2014: Jeff Cross, Sam Madison, Tony Nathan, Ed Newman
• No classes from 2015 to 2017, due to modernization and reconstruction at Hard Rock Stadium
• Class of 2018: Dick Anderson, Mark Clayton, Mark Duper, Jon Giesler, John Offerdahl, Jason Taylor

All-time first-round draft picks[]

Staff[]

Head coaches[]

Current staff[]

Miami Dolphins staff

• v
• t

	Front office Chairman/Managing general partner – Stephen Ross Vice chairman/Partner – Vice chairman – Jorge Pérez Vice chairman – Matt Higgins Vice chairman, president, and CEO – Tom Garfinkel General manager – Chris Grier Assistant general manager – Marvin Allen Vice president, football administration – Senior vice president, chief financial officer – Senior personnel executive – Reggie McKenzie Co-Director, player personnel – Co-Director, player personnel – Special advisor to the vice chairman, president, and CEO – Dan Marino Head coaches Head coach – Brian Flores Assistant head coach/special teams coordinator – Danny Crossman Offensive coaches Co-offensive coordinator/running backs – Eric Studesville Co-offensive coordinator/tight ends – George Godsey Quarterbacks – Charlie Frye Wide receivers – Josh Grizzard Assistant tight ends – Offensive line – Lemuel Jeanpierre Assistant offensive line – Quality control – Quality control – Kolby Smith			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Josh Boyer Defensive line – Linebackers – Anthony Campanile Outside linebackers – Defensive backs – Gerald Alexander Cornerbacks – Assistant defensive backs – Coaching assistant – Steven Gregory Special teams coaches Assistant special teams – Strength and conditioning Head strength and conditioning – Assistant strength and conditioning – Jim Arthur → Coaching staff → Management → More NFL staffs
AFC East BUF MIA NE NYJ North BAL CIN CLE PIT South HOU IND JAX TEN West DEN KC LV LAC NFC East DAL NYG PHI WAS North CHI DET GB MIN South ATL CAR NO TB West ARI LAR SF SEA

Explanatory notes[]

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Miami Dolphins.

• Official website
• Miami Dolphins at the National Football League official website