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With Jon-Eric Sullivan taking over as general manager and Jeff Hafley as head coach, the Miami Dolphins are beginning a major rebuild for the 2026 season.
They've cut ties by trade or release with Jaylen Waddle, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb and Tua Tagovailoa this offseason. The Dolphins didn't make any substantial additions, either, so the roster is very weak compared to the rest of the league.
Miami's roster is so bad that ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell believes that a team comprised entirely of backups could have a legitimate chance of beating the Dolphins this upcoming season.
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ESPN analyst believes Dolphins could lose to NFL team of only backups
"I'm excited to see what Malik Willis can do, and there are a few stars scattered around between De'Von Achane, Aaron Brewer, and Jordyn Brooks, but I'm not sure their roster is appreciably better than ours," Barnwell writes. "On a neutral field (since no city is going to want to host our team), we have a decent shot of competing with Miami."
While Barnwell isn't outright saying the all-backup team would win over the Dolphins, he does believe there's a real chance a real NFL team would lose to only backups.
Barnwell built this all-backup team by picking backups on all NFL rosters, constructing a surprisingly decent roster and one that can seemingly go head-to-head with the Dolphins.
The all-backup team Barnwell assembled is as follows.
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All-backup offense
QB: Joe Flacco, Fernando Mendoza, Jameis Winston
RB: Tyler Allgeier, Rico Dowdle, Kenny Gainwell, Keaton Mitchell
WR: Chimere Dike, Greg Dortch, Ashton Dulin, DeMario Douglas, Cedric Tillman, Olamide Zaccheaus
TE: Terrance Ferguson, Jackson Hawes, Joe Royer, Eli Stowers
OT: Trent Brown, Walker Little, Jamaree Salyer, Andrew Wylie
OG: T.J. Bass, Alex Palczewski, Danny Pinter
C: Lloyd Cushenberry III, Pat Coogan
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All-backup defense and special teams
EDGE: Kinsley Enagbare, Nick Herbig, Malcolm Koonce, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Kayvon Thibodeaux
DT: Adetomiwa Adebawore, Cory Durden, Poona Ford, Eyioma Uwazurike
LB: Leo Chenal, Junior Colson, Aiden Fisher, Luke Gifford, Ivan Pace Jr.
CB: Michael Carter II, Martin Emerson Jr., Kristian Fulton, Will Lee III, Benjamin St. Juste
S: Cam Lewis, Jalen Huskey, P.J. Locke, Marques Sigle
K: Zane Gonzalez
P: Brett Thorson
LS: Beau Gardner
Dolphins could lose to an all-backup NFL team
This roster isn't all that bad. The edge rushers are fairly strong, and the special teams unit has some upside. Plus, the quarterback and running back production should be fairly solid.
Compared to the Dolphins, the wide receiver, tight end and quarterback rooms are worse, while the Miami offensive line might have the edge in their head-to-head comparison.
But against the all-back offense, the Dolphins defense might not be able to compete. If Malik Willis or Quinn Ewers weren't good enough, then the Dolphins offense would have a tough time moving the ball against any defense, even this all-backup unit.
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While Barnwell's analysis is brutal, it's not all that far-fetched.
This Dolphins team is not likely to be good in 2026, and that's by design. This is a rebuild year, and if they end up with the No. 1 overall pick, that's perfectly okay.
But it's still a terrible look that Barnwell believes a team comprised of only backups could actually beat the Dolphins in 2026. It's a fair analysis, and Dolphins fans should only feel worse about the team heading into 2026 with Barnwell's belief in his all-backup team.
