Miami Dolphins

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. 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.

Don Shula years (1970–1995)

The Dolphins were the worst team with a 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 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.

After Marino and Shula retired and with the rise of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, the Dolphins suffered a decline in the 2000s and 2010s. During that time, the team's level of play was largely described as mediocre. They have only made the playoffs four times since Marino's retirement and have usually not been able to find a quarterback to replace him.

Jimmy Johnson years (1996–1999)

Jimmy Johnson was hired to replace Shula prior to the 1996 season. In his first season at the helm, he led the team to an 8–8 record and missed the postseason. In the 1997, the team improved to a 9–7 mark and made the postseason. The team saw their season end in the Wild Card Round with a 17–3 loss to the New England Patriots. In the 1998 season, the team went 10–6 and made the postseason. The Dolphins defeated the Bills 24–17 in the Wild Card Round before falling to the Denver Broncos 38–3 in the Divisional Round. In the 1999 season, the Dolphins went 9–7 and made the postseason. The team defeated the Seattle Seahawks 20–17 in the Wild Card Round before falling 62–7 to the Jacksonville Jaguars in what would be quarterback Dan Marino's final game. Johnson resigned following the season.

Dave Wannstedt years (2000–2004)

Going into the 2000 season, the Dolphins named Dave Wannstedt as head coach. In his first season with the Dolphins, he led the team to an 11–5 record and an AFC East title. The team defeated the Indianapolis Colts 23–17 in the Wild Card Round before losing 27–0 to the Oakland Raiders in the Divisional Round. In the 2001 season, the team made the postseason with an 11–5 record and runner-up placement in the AFC East. The team lost to the Baltimore Ravens 20–3 in the Wild Card Round. In the 2002 season, the team failed to make the postseason despite a 9–7 record. In the 2003 season, the team went 10–6 but missed the postseason. Following a 1–8 start in the 2004 season, Wannstedt resigned. Jim Bates finished out the year with a 3–4 mark.

Nick Saban years (2005–2006)

Nick Saban coached the Dolphins in the 2005 and 2006 seasons. He went 9–7 and 6–10 in those two seasons, missing the playoffs in both. Saban resigned following the 2006 season to leave for the University of Alabama.

Cam Cameron (2007)

Prior to the 2007 season, the Dolphins hired Cam Cameron has head coach. The team suffered a franchise-worst 1–15 season in 2007. After the 2007 season, the team fired Cameron.

Tony Sparano years (2008–2011)

Tony Sparano was named head coach of the Dolphins prior to the 2008 season. In his first season, he led the team to an 11–5 result and an AFC East title. During the season, they became the second team to make a 10-game improvement over the previous 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. However, this success in 2008 proved to be an outlier during this period in the franchise's history; to date, it is the last season the Dolphins won the AFC East. The team's season ended with a 27–9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round. The 2009 and 2010 seasons saw regression with a 7–9 record in both years. After a 4–9 start to the 2011 season, Sparano was fired. Todd Bowles finished the 6–10 season as interim coach.

Joe Philbin years (2012–2015)

Prior to the 2012 season, the team hired Joe Philbin as head coach. In his first season at the helm, Philbin led the team to a 7–9 record. In the 2013, the team improved to an 8–8 record but still missed the postseason. In the 2014 season, the team added Bill Lazor as offensive coordinator. The Dolphins once again finished 8–8. After a 1–3 start to the 2015 season, Philbin was fired. Dan Campbell was named as interim coach and finished the year with a 5–7 mark.

Adam Gase years (2016–2018)

Prior to the 2016 season, the team hired Adam Gase as head coach. He led the team to a 10–6 record and a postseason berth in the 2016 season. The team's season ended with a 30–12 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round. In the 2017 season, the Dolphins regressed to a 6–10 record. In the 2018 season, the Dolphins finished with a 7–9 record. After a cumulative 23–25 record, Gase was fired by the Dolphins.

Brian Flores years (2019–2021)

Prior to the 2019 season, the Dolphins hired Brian Flores as head coach. He led the team to a 5–11 record in the 2019 season. The team drafted Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. In the 2020 season, the team improved to a 10–6 mark but still missed the postseason. In the 2021 season, the team went 9–8 but missed the postseason. Following the end of the 2021 season, Flores was fired as head coach.

Mike McDaniel years (2022–2025)

Prior to the 2022 season, Mike McDaniel was hired as head coach. In his first season, he led the Dolphins to a 9–8 record and a 34–31 loss to the Bills in the Wild Card Round. In the 2023 season, the team improved to an 11–6 mark but the season again ended in the Wild Card Round with a 26–7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Dolphins finished with an 8–9 record in 2024, missing the playoffs for the first time in McDaniel's head coaching tenure.

Jeff Hafley years (2026–present)

Prior to the 2026 season, Jeff Hafley was hired as head coach.

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 1982 game now known as the Snowplow Game. Fortunes changed when Tom Brady became the franchise quarterback for the Patriots, and during his tenure with the Patriots, New England dominated the AFC, especially the AFC East, winning 16 of 17 division titles between 2003 and 2019, with the Dolphins winning the only non-Patriots division title in that time frame when Brady was out due to injury. Miami posed the biggest divisional challenge to the Brady-led Patriots, however, winning more games against them than the Bills or Jets did during that era.

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. 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. Only the 1972 Dolphins were able to win the Super Bowl. As of the 2024 season, the Dolphins lead the all-time series 64–55.

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 matchups 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 quarterback Dan Marino, the Bills-Dolphins rivalry 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.

In the 2020s, the rivalry intensified again, with Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, drafted in 2020, leading a resurgent Dolphins team against the Josh Allen-led Bills, who had gained a streak of success after Brady's departure from the Patriots and the division. Though Allen's career record against Miami currently stands at 13–2, Tagovailoa led the Dolphins to their first win over Bills in 8 games in 2022, and the Dolphins played the Bills tightly in the teams' two other meetings that year despite losing both, including the playoffs. As of the 2024 season, the Dolphins lead the all-time series 62–60–1.

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' misplaced 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. As of the 2024 season, the Dolphins lead the all-time series 61–57–1.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Dolphins have taken part in a minor rivalry with the Jacksonville Jaguars as both teams are the only two AFC franchises located in Florida. The two teams first met during the 1998 NFL season on a Monday Night Football matchup. Both teams later met in the 1999 AFC Divisional Round in what would ultimately be the final career game for Dolphins' hall-of-fame quarterback Dan Marino. The Dolphins entered the game as heavy underdogs as they had finished the 1999 season 9–7, securing the lowest wild card berth. Meanwhile, the Jaguars had boasted an impressive 14–2 campaign under pro-bowl quarterback Mark Brunell, culminating in the Jaguars destroying Miami in a 62–7 blowout loss. The Jaguars managed an improbable upset victory during the 2021 Season as the team had declined severely under controversial head coach Urban Meyer. Despite this, the Jaguars managed a comeback victory against the Dolphins in London during week 6. Miami leads the series 6–5 all time, though the Jaguars lead 1–0 in the postseason.

Indianapolis Colts

When the then-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. As of 2024, the Dolphins lead the all-time series 48–29.

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. As of the 2023 season, the Buccaneers lead the all-time series 7–5.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Dolphins won a notable pair of games against the Kansas City Chiefs, defeating them in "The Longest Game", the final game in Municipal Stadium, and then the first regular season game at Arrowhead Stadium in 1972. As of the 2023 season, the Chiefs lead the all-time series 17–16.

Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Pittsburgh Steelers

The Dolphins also share historic rivalries with other AFC teams such as 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. As of the 2023 season, the Raiders lead the all-time series 21–20–1.

Rivalries uniform

On August 28, 2025, the Dolphins released a new "Rivalries" uniform that would be worn at home against each of their AFC East opponents over a three-year span. The design featured a dark blue base with aqua numbers and orange trim, along with a "MIAMI" wordmark in orange with aqua drop shadows. The helmet is dark blue with aqua and orange striping, and featured a modified "swimming dolphin" logo without white elements.