NFL executive says 2023 season looks like championship or bust for Miami Dolphins

The many moves the Miami Dolphins have made this offseason show that the team means business in the upcoming 2023 season.

It’s setting up to be a championship-or-bust season for the Dolphins, and that seems to be what one unnamed NFL executive also thinks. The executive said that it almost feels like “this year or bust” for the franchise.

“I like what they have done,” the exec said, according to Mike Sando of The Athletic. “You can tell there are directives from the owner of being all-in, or at least that is what it looks like. It almost feels like it is this year or bust. They see the window — can you make something happen this year?”

The trade for star cornerback Jalen Ramsey is arguably the biggest move the team has made so far this offseason. Linebacker David Long Jr. was also brought in to make some noise alongside Jerome Baker.

Ramsey, Long and Baker figure to be key cogs in Vic Fangio’s defense. Fangio was hired this offseason to replace former defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, who was fired after his unit allowed 23.5 points per game in the 2022 campaign.

Miami is attempting to catch up to other teams in the AFC like the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. Upgrading the defense is a smart idea, as the Chiefs, Bills and Bengals all have explosive offenses led by superstar quarterbacks.

The Chiefs won last season’s Super Bowl, their second title win in the past four seasons. Buffalo beat the Dolphins in the first round of the 2022 postseason and looks to be a contender for years to come behind Josh Allen while the Bengals made it to the AFC Championship Game for the second consecutive campaign in the 2022 season.

The Dolphins have an explosive offense of their own led by Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. All three players had career years during the 2022 season.

Tagovailoa established himself as a franchise cornerstone by completing 64.8 percent of his passes for 3,548 yards and 25 touchdowns. However, he missed some time due to the multiple concussions he suffered, the second of which forced him to miss Miami’s playoff game against Buffalo.

Despite those injuries, Miami seems to be confident in the University of Alabama product’s ability to lead the team to major success this season and beyond. It exercised his fifth-year option well ahead of the deadline.

The excitement level in South Florida is as high as it has been in recent years, with Dolphins fans expecting the team to make it far in the upcoming season.