Jeff

Hafley

Sullivan said the goal in the coming years is to put together a roster of players who can win in Buffalo, New York, and New England in the second half of the season. The Dolphins, practicing and living in Miami, have traditionally been a miserable cold-weather team, leading to a number of late-season collapses going back to the Marino era. Sullivan’s comments echo newly hired head coach Jeff Sullivan, who reportedly wants to ditch the team’s emphasis on speed for size and physicality. “Our division runs through Buffalo and New England and New York, cold-weather places,” Sullivan said. “There’s a saying in our business, fast gets slow but big doesn’t get small. We’re not going to sacrifice speed and explosion and skill for a bunch of big stiff guys, but we’re going to have substance to us at all levels of our team. At corner, at receiver, at running back, and certainly up front. It starts with the quarterback, and then we’ll build this team from the inside out. We’ve got to be dominant on the offensive line, dominant on the defensive line.”

Wolfe said the Dolphins under Hafley will transition from a roster predicated on speed to one based on size and toughness. The team will also look to emulate the Packers in drafting and developing players instead of making splash signings in free agency, Wolfe said. Hafley, 46, who served as Green Bay’s defensive coordinator over the past two seasons, will look to revamp a Miami defense that last year allowed the NFL’s second highest drop back success rate and the ninth highest rushing success rate. Look for the Dolphins to invest heavily in defensive players in the 2026 NFL Draft.

This news comes via NFL Network’s The Insiders, as Hafley is expected to sign a deal to become the next head coach of the Dolphins in the very near future. Ian Rapoport notes that while a deal still needs to be worked out, Hafley and the Dolphins are highly motivated to get a deal done. The move to Miami will reunite Hafley with new Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan, who worked with Hafley in Green Bay over the last two seasons. Hafley re-joined the NFL ranks in 2024 after spending five seasons in the college ranks, and helped lead the Packers defense to top-12 finishes in both of his seasons. He’ll now look to round out his first coaching staff in the coming days as he prepares to lead a Dolphins team that finished 7-10 last season while ranking 24th or worst in scoring on both sides of the ball.

Hafley has already met with other teams this coaching cycle and has a second interview with the Dolphins on tap. The 46-year-old coach has led top-12 defenses in back-to-back seasons since leaving the college game for the pros in 2024 and remains a hot name on the market with seven head coaching vacancies still left to be filled.

Hafley will meet with Miami brass on Monday before talking to the Titans on Tuesday. He has already met with both virtually. These meetings will be in person. Schefter added, “As was the case with Kevin Stefanski in Atlanta, a deal could come together quickly.” It sounds like these two teams will have a bidding war early in the week before Hafley makes his decision. Hafley does have a connection to Miami via Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan. The latter was just hired by the Dolphins after spending over two decades in Green Bay’s front office. We suspect that’s where he winds up, but this is still an open race between the Titans and Dolphins.

Hafley is interviewing with the Steelers on Saturday and has fielded requests from the Raiders, Titans, Cardinals and Falcons as well. The 46-year-old coach has led a top-12 defense in each of his two seasons as the Packers’ defensive coordinator. Hafley is a natural fit with the Dolphins given his relationship with new Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan, who worked in the Packers’ front office for many years. Before joining the Packers, Hafley had a 22-26 record in four season as the head coach at Boston College.

The Steelers requested an interview with Hafley on Thursday and have now been granted a chance to speak with the second-year defensive coordinator. Hafley has led a top-12 defense or better in each of his two seasons with the Packers since being named as the team’s defensive coordinator in 2024, and has also fielded interview requests from the Dolphins, Raiders, Titans, Cardinals, and Falcons this coaching cycle. He’s clearly in high-demand and is one of the safer bets to land a head coaching job in the coming weeks.

NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk notes that Hafley has already interviewed with the Dolphins and Titans. The Raiders, Cardinals and Steelers hope to do the same. The Packers’ defensive coordinator will continue to be a busy interviewee, unless one of the prior teams makes him an offer.

The Steelers are now up to seven interview requests for the opening left by Mike Tomlin. Six of them are with defensive coordinators. Without a young quarterback in need of an offensive mind at the helm, it looks like Pittsburgh will attack the other side of the ball with its head coaching hire. Hafley has been contacted by six teams for head coaching interviews. He has held the role of defensive coordinator in Green Bay for two seasons.

Hafley is up to five head coaching interviews now. The Falcons, Cardinals, and Titans have also requested interviews with him. Hafley has held his current position in Green Bay for two seasons. The Packers ranked 11th in points allowed this year and sixth in 2024. He was Boston College’s head coach before joining the Packers.