Miami Dolphins Doing Joint Practices Again … But With a Twist
The Miami Dolphins, as expected, will continue their — pardon the pun — practice of holding joint practices this summer, but there’s a twist this summer.
The Dolphins will have joint practices with each of the three teams on their preseason schedule for the first time.
Head coach Mike McDaniel said before the team’s OTA on Tuesday that the Dolphins would have two joint practices with the Atlanta Falcons, and one each against the Washington Commanders and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In each of the past three seasons, the Dolphins also scheduled four joint practices, but it was two each against two of the three preseason opponents — one of the joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022 was canceled because of a stomach flu running through the Miami locker room.
Per terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams playing three preseason games can schedule a maximum of four joint practices.
“Each each offseason is a different code to crack,” McDaniel said. “I think the specific needs of your team vary. I think in this specific offseason, we had the opportunity to get a couple more valuable practice days against varied looks. Varied techniques. The intensity of practice, in general, is raised to a degree when you’re going against a fresh, new opponent.”
Because of travel considerations, one would expect the Dolphins and Falcons to have joint practices on Tuesday, Aug. 6 and Wednesday, Aug. 7 ahead of their preseason opener at Hard Rock Stadium on Aug. 9.
The Dolphins play host to the Washington Commanders on Saturday, Aug. 17, so the logical date of the joint practice would be Thursday, Aug. 15.
And then the Dolphins logically will be having a joint practice with the Buccaneers in Tampa on Wednesday, Aug. 21 ahead of their preseason finale at Raymond James Stadium on Aug. 23.
The Dolphins should get the opportunity to see 2024 first-round quarterbacks Jayden Daniels of the Commanders and Michael Penix Jr. of the Falcons during those practices.
The Dolphins worked with (or against) the Falcons and the Houston Texans last summer.
