The Miami Dolphins found their new lead man, announcing Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as their next head coach on Monday evening. Hafley was a popular name this cycle and ultimately landed in Miami.
Hafley, who turns 47 in April, just wrapped up his second season as the Packers’ defensive coordinator. His unit ranked No. 12 in total defense, allowing 311.8 yards per game, and No. 11 in scoring defense, allowing 21.2 points per game. The Packers were eliminated in the wild card round last week after blowing the largest lead (18 points) in postseason franchise history to rival Chicago Bears.
Hafley is well-traveled and experienced. He last served as the head coach at Boston College for four seasons, going 22-26 before leaving for the Packers. Before his time at Boston College, he spent a season as Ohio State’s co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. The Buckeyes allowed 13.7 points per game and 259.7 yards per game that season, which ranked the fewest in the FBS. Hafley also coached defensive backs with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers, as well as at the college level at Pittsburgh and Rutgers.
Miami viewed Hafley as a favorite, as the Dolphins recently hired former Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan to serve as their new general manager. Now, Sullivan brings in a familiar face to turn the franchise around.
Miami turns to Hafley to replace Mike McDaniel, who the Dolphins fired after he registered a 33-35 record over four seasons. McDaniel posted winning records in each of his first two seasons with the Dolphins but went 15-19 over the last two years. He failed to win a single playoff game and went 4-17 against teams with winning records during his tenure.
The Dolphins haven’t won a postseason game since 2000, the longest active playoff win drought in the NFL. There is plenty to be figured out in South Beach this offseason, as star wide receiver Tyreek Hill is expected to be released and the Dolphins could be in the market for a new quarterback as well. The Dolphins benched Tua Tagovailoa for rookie Quinn Ewers after Tagovailoa threw a career-high 15 interceptions in 14 games. He signed a four-year, $212.4 million extension in 2024 and carries a $56.4 million cap hit in 2026.
Hafley a harbinger of a particular QB?
Given Tagovailoa’s contract, odds are he will be on Miami’s roster in 2026. A post-June 1 release would result in a $67.4 million dead cap hit for the Dolphins in 2026, a $31.8 million dead cap hit in 2027, plus an $11 million salary cap increase in 2026.
What the Dolphins could do is bring in “competition” to battle Tagovailoa — similar to what the Indianapolis Colts did with Anthony Richardson last year by adding Daniel Jones. Interestingly enough, Hafley comes over from a team that currently has what may be the most intriguing quarterback on its roster this offseason.
Malik Willis is set to be a free agent this offseason, and he has earned the right to at least battle for a starting job. After Jordan Love suffered a concussion in the Packers’ Week 16 loss to the Bears, Willis stepped into the starting lineup the following week against the Baltimore Ravens. While Green Bay lost that game, 41-24, Willis’ performance was remarkable.
Malik Willis is set to be a free agent this offseason, and he’s earned the right to at least battle for a starting job. After Jordan Love suffered a concussion in the Packers’ Week 16 loss to the Bears, Willis was called upon to step into the starting lineup the following week against the Baltimore Ravens. While Green Bay did lose that game, 41-24, Willis’ performance was remarkable.
The former third-round pick out of Liberty completed 18 of 21 passes for 288 yards and one touchdown and led the Packers in rushing with 60 yards and two more touchdowns. According to CBS Sports Research, Willis became the first quarterback ever to complete 85% of his passes while averaging 13 yards per attempt and rushing for 60 yards. His 13.7 yards per attempt were the most by a quarterback with 50 rushing yards in a game in the past 50 seasons.
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Since the Tennessee Titans traded him to the Packers in 2024, Willis has gone 2-1 as a starter in Green Bay while averaging 204 passing yards per game. He has thrown three touchdowns with zero interceptions in those starts and posted a 132.4 passer rating. After his performance against Baltimore, Packers coach Matt LaFleur even had to publicly “pump the brakes” on the Willis hype.
With Willis looking for a new opportunity, and the former Packers vice president of player personnel taking over as the Dolphins’ general manager — who then brought over the former Packers defensive coordinator to serve as head coach — the Dolphins suddenly become a team to watch as a potential Willis landing spot.