There’s no question the Miami Dolphins have been one of the most chaotic teams in the NFL this offseason. Between the trades, departures, and swirling questions around the front office and coaching staff, the uncertainty has reached a boiling point — and now even ESPN analyst Louis Riddick is weighing in.
“Dolphins the very definition of uncertainty going into 2025,” Riddick wrote on X. “Have zero idea what this team will look like, play like, come together like chemistry wise. Zero. Fascinating to me.”
It’s a blunt but fitting assessment of a team that’s moved on from multiple key players in recent months, including Monday’s blockbuster deal that sent Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Miami received veteran safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in return, along with a 2027 fifth-round pick.
The trade drew immediate backlash from fans and former players alike. Running back Raheem Mostert, who earned Pro Bowl honors in 2023 before being released in February, slammed the team on social media: “Hot take: Be a Pro-bowler on the Dolphins, get treated like sh*t. Happy for my guys though! GO BALL OUT!!”
General manager Chris Grier has also found himself in the crosshairs. Despite signing Ramsey to a new extension just last offseason, he turned around and dealt him a year later. And while OutKick’s Armando Salguero gave Grier some credit — saying he may have “salvaged” a difficult situation — the trade did little to inspire confidence about Miami’s 2025 outlook.
“Gotta say, and Dolphins fans will not agree, but Chris Grier turned a terrible situation in which everyone knew he HAD TO trade Ramsey and gets back a younger player the organization (minus Brian Flores) loved years ago is salvaging the situation,” Salguero said. “The Dolphins could be winning this trade.”
But the noise hasn’t stopped. Head coach Mike McDaniel was already under fire after last year’s disappointing season. NFL.com’s Ed Edholm called him the “biggest loser” in the trade and warned of bigger problems looming ahead.
“This trade sent away the Dolphins' leading pass catcher from 2024 and one of its most talented defenders,” Edholm wrote. “The lack of depth at certain spots has to really worry McDaniel.”
Even the team’s solution at tight end — acquiring Darren Waller in a deal with the Giants — came with strings attached. Waller had retired last year, then reportedly told the Giants he’d only return if he could play in Miami. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Waller is expected to sign an adjusted, incentive-laden deal with the Dolphins.
That’s a lot of moving pieces. And yet, not nearly enough clarity.
As Riddick said — nobody knows what this team will look like come Week 1. And for a franchise that was supposed to be on the rise, that kind of uncertainty could be a recipe for disaster.