Jeff Hafley spent the Dolphins’ bye week studying everything his winless team has put on film, and on Monday he came back with a message about patience: Miami is still laying a foundation, five games into his first season, and he does not believe its identity is settled yet.
“Good time to evaluate, catch a break and when you do that you can see things clearly,” Hafley said at his Monday press conference, adding that the staff weighed what to add and what to take away.
Just listen to Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley talk about what he likes about his team, even at 0-5.
(🎥 Miami Dolphins) pic.twitter.com/ho3LXmXIMs
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) October 19, 2026
The Dolphins are 0-5 and have scored 70 points, 14 a game, while allowing 132. Only one of the five losses, 31-24 to Cincinnati before the bye, came with more than 13 points on Miami’s side of the scoreboard. Hafley closed the session talking about the work his players have put in and the type of people the club brought in, the kind of buy-in he wants to build on.
Willis stays the quarterback
Malik Willis did not throw at practice during the off week. Hafley said the quarterback was dealing with something minor and should be fine for the full week of preparation. “I foresee him being good to go,” he said.
Hafley had already ruled out a change at the position before the bye, and nothing on Monday suggested a different plan. Willis has completed 73 of 130 passes for 849 yards, with two touchdowns and four interceptions in five starts.
Help coming back
The bigger lift may come at receiver. Caleb Douglas, out with an ankle injury, returned to practice on a limited basis on Monday, and Hafley said that rewatching the games Douglas played during the bye showed how much the offense had missed him. Right guard Jonah Savaiinaea and cornerback JuJu Brents were also limited.
Rookie safety Kyle Louis could be designated to return from injured reserve by Wednesday, and cornerback Darrell Baker Jr. is close to coming off the physically unable to perform list. Hafley also welcomed rookie running back Kaytron Allen, a recent addition he called physical, saying that seeing him up close in person helped make the decision.
What comes next
The Dolphins visit the 2-4 New York Jets on Sunday, October 25, at 1:00 p.m. EDT at MetLife Stadium (Game Center). The Jets come off a 26-19 loss at New England. Miami then hosts the New England Patriots on Sunday, November 1. More on the Dolphins and Jets team pages and the injury report.
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