The Miami Dolphins aren’t detonating. They’re drifting. The 2025 season did not explode so much as exhale, long, slow, tired. And somewhere between that sigh and the arrival of new head coach Jeff Hafley, the question at quarterback stopped being theoretical and started feeling inevitable.
PFSN Predicts Dolphins to Sign Derek Carr
Derek Carr’s retirement was supposed to feel final, a quiet fade after rotator cuff surgery, a repertoire neatly filed away after 11 seasons and four Pro Bowl nods. But it instead lingers as a bookmark slipped between chapters. Not quite the end. Not fully closed. And then there’s the Dolphins, a team that has spent five years living in the soft ache of “almost.”
Since drafting Tua Tagovailoa fifth overall in 2020, the Dolphins have operated in a loop of promise and interruption. Injuries stole momentum. Coaching changes rewrote systems. Philosophies shifted just enough to feel new, but not enough to feel settled.
In 2025, Tagovailoa threw a career-high 15 interceptions and had the lowest quarterback rating of his career. A 72.2 QBi from PFSN. The offense that once moved with confidence started hesitating. Mistakes came in clusters, always at the worst possible moment. It was not only a statistical regression. It was the sense that something fragile had taken root.
And then came Hafley in January as the Dolphins’ new head coach. He brings structure after serving as the Green Bay Packers’ defensive coordinator for 2 years. Which is where Derek Carr comes into the conversation.
According to insiders Ian Rapoport and others, Carr would consider coming out of retirement for the right situation. Meanwhile, reports indicate the Dolphins might explore trading or releasing Tagovailoa. If that reset becomes official, Carr becomes a tangible solution rather than a theoretical option.
According to PFSN, there’s logic to it. Carr would step into an offense coordinated by Bobby Slowik, another branch from the Shanahan system tree, timing-based and layered. Carr has thrived in that rhythm before.
The Dolphins’ skill players remain alluring: Jaylen Waddle’s speed feels like a cheat code, De’Von Achane bends space, and the possibility of reuniting with tight end Darren Waller adds familiarity.
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Although the Dolphins’ offensive line has its challenges, Carr’s calmness shines through. While they face stability issues, Carr offers a significant advantage: a reliable, consistent presence that can make a real difference.
He has started games in hostile environments and managed locker rooms. He has carried rosters that were less talented than advertised and still kept them competitive. So yes, Carr and the Dolphins seem to be a tangible solution.
