The Miami Dolphins lost to the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night, bringing to a close the team’s 2026 preseason schedule. The focus over the next two days will be on the roster moves Miami makes to drop its 90-man roster down to the league-mandated regular-season limit of 53 players. The Dolphins, and all 31 other teams in the NFL, must complete the culling by 6 p.m. Eastern on Sunday.
Even with the game result fresh and roster cuts looming, Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley took some time in his post-game
press conference to address his recent interview with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith in which the coach said, “Success is not going to be measured in wins and losses this year — and I know nobody wants to hear that.” In a league that is built around wins and losses and with a fan base begging to have their team turned back into the winner it one was, what does the coach mean by that?
After the game, the coach’s explanation of his comments was shared by the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson:
“We and I want to win in everything that we do. But success is not just defined by winning. Winning, for sure. That’s why you play the game… But at the same time, we need to make sure this process is built the right way.
“The whole key to this year is do everything we can to win football games but making sure we do it right, so the foundation is right and the process is right. I want to make sure we’re doing it the right way with no shortcuts.
“It’s important that we move this thing forward and build… because we want to get back on top. To do that, you got to go through some hard stuff, with competing in mind to win in everything we do, but keeping the main thing our process and the detail and the toughness and not taking shortcuts and not flinching along the way, so at the end of the year, we can look back and say, ‘Our foundation is strong. We’re not going away. Look out, ‘We’re coming.’
“That kind of got lost in our conversation [with Stephen A. Smith]. I can look you in the eye and say: We are going to do everything we can to try to win every single game.”
You can check out the rest of that story here, and the rest of the day’s round-up below.
Dolphins’ Hafley makes interesting admission, clarifies it, updates injury – Barry Jackson, Miami Herald
Jeff Hafley was certainly transparent with the Dolphins’ fan base when he made an admission seldom heard from an NFL head coach.
Falcons vs. Dolphins post-game reviews
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Dolphins Preseason Game 3 Instant Takeaways: Bell Busy, Tua Talk – Alain Poupart, Miami Dolphins on SI
What stood out in the Miami Dolphins’ loss against the Atlanta Falcons in their 2026 preseason finale
Dolphins’ Chris Bell has active night as Miami rests starters in preseason loss to Falcons – David Furones, South Florida Sun Sentinel
The Miami Dolphins got rookie wide receiver Chris Bell his first in-game catch ahead of his first regular season on the first play of Friday night’s preseason action.
Falcons QB Tua Tagovailoa draws audible reaction from Dolphins fans at preseason finale – Chris Perkins, South Florida Sun Sentinel
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, one of South Florida’s most polarizing sports figures in recent memory, was greeted largely by boos from the sparse crowd in his return to Hard Rock Stadium against the Miami Dolphins for the preseason finale Friday night. But it wasn’t necessarily a loud, passionate reaction.
Game Recap: Dolphins Fall to Falcons in Preseason Finale – Grace O’Donnell, Miami Dolphins
Miami closed out the preseason with a 17-12 loss to Atlanta on Friday evening at Hard Rock Stadium.
Bell, Miller, Dodson vs. Rodriguez, and other observations from Dolphins’ preseason finale – Chris Perkins, South Florida Sun Sentinel
The Dolphins played their preseason finale Friday against Falcons, a 17-12 Miami loss, and although the most-anticipated storyline involved Atlanta quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, the ex-Dolphins starter, another QB, Miami’s Cam Miller, had a chance to shine.
Former Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa greeted by boos in return to Miami – Joe Rivera, USA Today
Boo-a Tagovailoa? Miami fans already have.
Chris Bell’s injury in the past as he rolls for Dolphins in preseason – Joe Schad, The Palm Beach Post
When the Miami Dolphins drafted wide receiver Chris Bell, they hoped he would be available at some point this season.
Tua Tagovailoa booed in return to Miami: ‘Regardless of the reaction, I love the city’ – Saad Yousuf, The Athletic
Waiver claims and roster cuts
Final Projection of the Dolphins 53-man roster– Omar Kelly, Miami Herald
In the past month the Miami Dolphins have claimed four players off the NFL waiver wire, and traded for an offensive tackle (Caedan Wallace) and a tailback (Jarquez Hunter).
The Biggest Dolphins Roster Question at Every Position – Alain Poupart, Miami Dolphins on SI
The Miami Dolphins will have decisions to make between now and the Sunday deadline for roster cuts
Examining the Reasonable Waiver Wire Expectations for the Dolphins (With the Sieler Exception)– Alain Poupart, Miami Dolphins on SI
The Dolphins already have been busy making waiver claims and likely will make more, but what are the realistic chances those players pan out?
10 Dolphins acquired in the past two weeks looking to impress vs. Falcons – Chris Perkins, South Florida Sun Sentinel
The rebuilding Miami Dolphins have acquired 10 players since Aug. 16, basically the past two weeks, and those new acquisitions will have one last, frantic, desperate chance — Friday night’s preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons — to make an impression on coaches before the 6 p.m. Sunday roster cuts.
Training Camp Wrap-Up
Six Dolphins Training Camp Winners, Six Camp Losers (And Two Who Were Both) – Alain Poupart, Miami Dolphins on SI
ICYMI – The Phinsider News and Updates
Dolphins trade Tutu Atwell to Rams – Kevin Nogle, The Phinsider
The Miami Dolphins are sending Tutu Atwell back to the Rams in exchange for a running back.
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