Dolphins close open offseason work as Jeff Hafley gauges buy-in and quarterback progress

The Miami Dolphins wrapped up the final practice of their 2026 offseason session that was open to local media on Tuesday, putting a bookend on about two months of conditioning, schematic installation, and unpadded work. In the team’s account, the session was less about results in a game-like setting and more about whether the group is internalizing the standards Jeff Hafley has been laying out since he took over as head coach.

Hafley’s message, as framed by the Dolphins, has been that his offseason starts with being “open-minded,” using spring to let performance reveal what path makes the most sense. The practical emphasis, at this stage of the calendar, has been relationships and tempo rather than full-contact execution. Hafley said he was encouraged not by any single highlight, but by what he called the team’s buy-in and effort, along with the relationships built between coaches and players. He specifically credited coaches for their work and described the attitude as the “most important” element of where the team stands right now.

The Dolphins also used Tuesday as another checkpoint for their quarterback development. According to the team, Malik Willis made strides through multiple parts of the process, including throwing into tight windows and showing better progression through his options. Miami also noted Willis’s ability to extend plays when time broke down, an early-season trait that often gets tested more in practice than in offseason evaluation periods.

Wide receiver Malik Washington, in the team’s retelling, highlighted what Willis’s athletic throwing can mean for the offense. Washington said that quarterbacks have to keep playing each play, and he pointed to Willis’s ability to create value once the play is already moving away from the original design. Washington also referenced the specific skill set of putting the ball downfield, framed as delivering throws even after the play has effectively passed its first target window.

Beyond Willis, Miami pointed to second-year quarterback Quinn Ewers continuing to build within the offense. The Dolphins described Ewers working in rhythm with the group and showing growth in how he operated, suggesting an emphasis on timing, decision speed, and consistency as the spring program progresses.

For the broader roster, Hafley’s offseason evaluation has extended beyond the returning core. The Dolphins’ notebook noted that he entered the spring without fixed expectations and then talked about liking the makeup of the group he has in place, including the veterans, the players the team signed in free agency, and the young players selected in the draft. In that sense, Tuesday’s open-practice finale served as a status check on how that mix is coming together under new leadership and a refreshed coaching voice.

Now, the focus shifts to the next phase of the spring, where unpadded reps give way to more live action. Even without pads on, early takeaways can be meaningful, especially around quarterback mechanics, route timing, and how quickly players adapt to what is being taught. The Dolphins’ own framing makes clear that Hafley is measuring the foundation now, with the real tests of contact and execution still ahead.

As the calendar moves forward, watch how the quarterback themes from Tuesday hold up when work becomes more physical and defensive pressure more consistent. If Willis’s tight-window throws and play-extension ability continue, and if Ewers’s timing-and-rhythm improvement translates under increased speed and contact, Miami’s early spring groundwork could turn into clearer roles as the team heads toward the later stages of offseason preparation.