The Miami Dolphins’ 2024 season was disappointing for sure, but it most definitely wasn’t boring.
Between off-the-field incidents, some bizarre situations involving big-name veterans and an opening-day scene straight out of a movie, this wasn’t your run-of-the-mill NFL season.
So then, here it is, our list of the 10 biggest Dolphins stories of 2024:
This is a pretty easy choice, no? And any quarterback missing six games with injuries would be the top story for most teams, but it’s especially so when that quarterback has the kind of injury history (particuarly with concussions) that Tua Tagovailoa. This actually was a three-part story with the concussion against Buffalo, his impressive return against the Arizona Cardinals, and then the hip injury that cost him the final two games of the 2024 season.
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Making the Tua story even bigger was how much the offense struggled without him in the lineup from Week 3-7, and it sure didn’t help that the Dolphins went through three other quarterbacks during that span between Skylar Thompson, Tim Boyle and Tyler Huntley.
Sure, this was a massively overblown story because expectations all along should have been modest for Beckham based on his previous few seasons. But he’s a big-name player who once was among the best in the NFL at his position, and star power sells. Maybe the biggest part of this story, other than Beckham being waived at his request, was GM Chris Grier admitting the Dolphins knew that Beckham might not be ready for the start of the regular season after undergoing a knee procedure in the offseason.
Calais Campbell’s performance at the age of 37 alone was worthy of constant attention, but the drama surrounding the NFL trade deadline added an interesting twist. Campbell made no secret of the fact he still played in 2024 because he’s looking for a ring and the Dolphins were ready to trade at the deadline when they were 2-6 until Mike McDaniel insisted he be kept because he was confident a turnaround was on the horizon and Campbell would be needed. In the end, the Dolphins did turn things around, just not enough for them to get into the playoffs and keeping Campbell until the end cost him his chance at chasing a ring in the playoffs.
Beckham was one of the four players who began the regular season on the Physically Unable to Perform list and once the four — Bradley Chubb, Isaiah Wynn and Cameron Goode were the others — were eligible to return, this became a weekly watch as to when each would return to practice. In the end, all made their way back to the 53-man roster except for Chubb.
What happened with Tyreek Hill being detained by police for speeding outside of Hard Rock Stadium and thrown to the ground, and then handcuffed being placed on Campbell for stopping to see how he could help always will rank as one of the wildest game-day incidents in Dolphins history.
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For all the talk of the Dolphins not making their players more accountable, the team sure didn’t play games with linebacker David Long Jr. After he was voted a team captain at the start of his second season with the team, the veteran first was demoted in favor of Anthony Walker Jr. and later waive when the Dolphins claimed fellow linebacker Tyrel Dodson. It was quite the fall from grace.
Injuries are a part of the NFL, but the Dolphins caught a really, really bad break during the week of Tagovailoa’s return when team MVP Zach Sieler caught a finger in the eye and caused an injury serious enough that he was forced to miss two games. Perhaps not coincidentally, the defense didn’t hold up its end in either of those two games against Arizona and the Buffalo Bills and the Dolphins lost despite strong efforts by Tagovailoa and the offense.
Yeah, that Shaq Barrett saga was something. He pretty much was forgotten by the time Thanksgiving week rolled around, everyone now OK with the idea he had decided to abruptly retire before the start of training camp after signing with the Dolphins in the offseason. But then Barrett decided he indeed wanted to resume playing, with the Dolphins forced to make a quick decision on whether they activate him, keep him on the Retired list or waive him so he could sign with another team. The Dolphins choose a combination of B and C, making him a bit before waiving him (with a non-injury settlement likely involving some reimbursement of his signing bonus money).
For the last story, we bypassed the bizarre Blake Ferguson saga that ended with him sidelined for the final 12 games after his coaches kept telling the media the long-snapper likely would return at some point in favor of the sad story of Jaelan Phillips seeing his hard work to come back from an Achilles tendon injury go to waste with an unfortunate misstep in the Monday night game against the Tennessee Titans that resulted in a torn ACL.
MIAMI – Fans, celebrities and media flocked to Nu Stadium on Saturday to experience opening night at Inter Miami CF’s brand new, soccer-specific venue.
The Herons were up for the occasion, throwing an epic housewarming party capped by a 2-2 comeback draw against Austin FC.
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Club legends Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez provided the goals that paced Miami to a dramatic start to life in their new home.
“Today, it’s clear that for the last 20 to 25 minutes, we took a lot of risks,” head coach Javier Mascherano told reporters post-match.
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“But we’re at home. We’re MLS [Cup] champions, and we have to show it.”
Electric atmosphere
The Herons went all out to make Nu Stadium’s opening match one to remember, christening their state-of-the-art Downtown Miami digs with fireworks and rousing pre-game speeches from co-owners Jorge Mas and David Beckham.
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Famed Miami resident and four-time Grammy Award winner Marc Anthony then belted out a stirring rendition of the national anthem, setting the stage for 90-plus minutes of non-stop chanting, cheering, and drumming from the sellout crowd of 26,700.
“It was beautiful. A sold-out crowd of people who made the effort to come and see us. And honestly, they cheered us from beginning to end,” said defender Maxi Falcón.
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“For them to welcome us like that, with today’s spectacle, it was beautiful for us.”
That electric atmosphere helped the Herons recover quickly from Guilherme Biro’s sixth-minute opener for Austin, with Messi responding four minutes later to score Miami’s first-ever goal at their new home with a precise header.
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A similar scenario played out in the second half, with fans spurring the Herons on as Suárez came off the bench to cancel out Jayden Nelson’s go-ahead strike by rifling home from close range in the 82nd minute.
Nu Stadium briefly erupted in pandemonium after Suárez appeared to score a last-gasp winner, only for the goal to be called off.
“On the field, you could definitely feel the atmosphere – especially when you score a goal to tie it up late,” said goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair.
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“We pushed for the winner as well, and we felt that the crowd was really with us and pushing and kind of suffocating them.”
World-class venue
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While Saturday’s draw wasn’t the result they wanted, Inter Miami can take pride in boasting one of the best sporting venues in the world, according to MLS Commissioner Don Garber.
“They’ve done the unthinkable. The stadium is spectacular, it’s breathtaking,” Garber said. “Jose and Jorge [Mas] spoke to me this morning and they said, ‘I wish I could be with you when you walk in because it will take your breath away.’ And it did. It’s absolutely spectacular.”
“It feels to me like a building that can rival any sports facility anywhere in the world. Not just soccer stadiums, but any sports building. I’m very proud of them.”
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For Mas, the venue that anchors the broader Miami Freedom Park project could launch the club to transformative heights.
“Today we’re home,” Mas told the crowd during his pre-game speech. “I think this is a personification of what’s possible. I think it’s an amazing stadium, an amazing environment.
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“And, listen, our goal is to lift trophies and win championships, and I think this will be a proper home to do that with and for our fans.”
Made in Miami
Saturday’s match carried extra meaning for Miami beyond the outcome.
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After six years playing 30 miles to the north in Fort Lauderdale, the Herons are now officially setting roots in Miami proper.
“[For the] fans to be able to have a permanent home where they know they’ll be here,” said St. Clair. “So I think for us, you just want to be able to reward the fans and give them wins and show them the effort. And be willing to do everything for the badge and for the club.”
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Beckham, who helped plant the seeds of Inter Miami over a decade ago, was especially proud.
“To see this stadium come to life after years and years of trying to get this stadium up and running in Miami is something very special,” said the England and LA Galaxy legend. “I came to America and the MLS 20 years ago and I made a lot of promises. And 13 years ago, I made a lot of promises again, announcing that I was coming to Miami.
“And today is just a dream come true for us.”
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In with the Nu
With Nu Stadium’s first match in the books, Inter Miami are looking to build on the legacy they’ve already created with MLS Cup 2025, 2024 Supporters’ Shield and Leagues Cup 2023 titles.
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“I think the favorite part is still to come,” said Mas. “Everything to now has been frankly extremely stressful, the last few months. But I think the culmination of lifting an MLS Cup, us together here in December, would be a great shining cap off to an amazing year.”
Miami’s players, meanwhile, are more focused on the short-term.
“We’re a little bitter about not taking all three points because we know we’re a strong team,” said Falcón.
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“…. We showed it last year, especially towards the end of the season. We have to get back to that, get our heads together and prepare well for our next game.”
A driver was detained in Northwest Miami-Dade on Saturday after being accused of striking a deputy’s vehicle during a fatal crash investigation, authorities said
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, at around 11:55 p.m. on Friday, a vehicle crashed into a tree on Northwest 135th Street and 57th Avenue, where it caught on fire.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue arrived at the scene, extinguished the flames, and the driver was pronounced dead.
Their identity was not released.
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During the investigation, deputies blocked the intersection when a vehicle went through the intersection and struck a cruiser.
MDSO said the cruiser sustained damage, and the deputy had minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
The driver was then detained.
No arrests have been made as the investigation remains active.
