Dolphins 2026 midseason awards: From MVP to most improved
· Yahoo Sports
The Miami Dolphins are eight games into their 2026 season, which is the first under new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley, and the team has struggled mightily to this point.
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Miami has put together a 1-7 record, with their lone win coming against the New York Jets in Week 7. While it's clear that the Dolphins are rebuilding, they've found a few players who have performed well and are establishing themselves as building blocks of the future.
As we head into the back half of the season, let's hand out some midseason awards to those Dolphins who deserve some credit for their efforts.
MVP: DL Zach Sieler
Sieler entered this season as the oldest player on the defense at 31 years old, and he's had a tremendous year, recording 24 tackles, five quarterback hits and two sacks. His efforts go beyond that stat sheet, as he's often giving his teammates opportunities to get sacks and tackles for loss. Unfortunately, Sieler's season has already come to an end, as he ruptured his biceps in Week 9. It won't be easy for anyone to fill his shoes for the rest of the year.
Offensive Player of the Year: RB Ollie Gordon II
With De'Von Achane suffering a torn ACL early in the year, the Dolphins turned to Gordon to be their lead back, and he's had a strong season. In eight games, the 22-year-old has rushed for 463 yards and four touchdowns on 4.3 yards per attempt. He's also caught seven passes for 23 yards. Miami's offense is reliant on the run, so if they're having any success, it usually starts with Gordon.
Defensive Player of the Year: LB Chop Robinson
Sieler probably should win this award as well, but if we're looking to split some credit, Robinson is deserving of recognition. The former first-round pick didn't have the best start to his career, but in seven games this year, he has 15 tackles, 11 quarterback hits, four sacks, one pass defensed and one fumble recovery. Robinson is Miami's top pass rusher, and even though their pass rush isn't very ferocious, he's really making an impact in nearly every game.
Rookie of the Year: LB Jacob Rodriguez
The Dolphins may have taken two players in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, but their second-round selection has been the most notable so far. In eight games, Rodriguez has 79 tackles, two quarterback hits, one sack, one forced fumble and one interception. He's simply doing it all, and if he keeps up this pace, he'll break Zach Thomas' franchise record for tackles by a rookie (154 in 1996).
Most improved: LB Joshua Uche
At 28 years old, Uche has been around for a while. The former second-round pick was with New England from 2020-24 before finishing up the 2024 season in Kansas City and spending 2024 with Philadelphia. 2022 was Uche's best season, as he recorded 11.5 sacks and 14 quarterback hits. Over the next three seasons, he had 12 quarterback hits and six sacks.
Now, in his first year with the Dolphins, he's seen a resurgence. Through eight games, he has a career-high 34 tackles with seven quarterback hits, three sacks, one pass defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He's setting himself up for a decent payday this offseason, either from Miami or another team.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins 2026 midseason awards: From MVP to most improved