Report: Dolphins players believe Stephen Ross is ‘extremely committed’ to building a competitive team

The NFLPA recently published its latest installment of report cards for every one of the 32 teams in the league based on information from players.

According to the results, Miami Dolphins players seem to think very highly of team owner Stephen Ross. Miami received the best ownership grade in the entire league and was given an A+ overall in the category.

For one, Dolphins players think Ross isn’t afraid to spend money on maintaining facilities.

“Owner Stephen Ross’s average rating for perceived willingness to invest in the facilities is 9.88 out of 10 from the Dolphins players, a ranking of 1 out of 32 owners in the league,” the report card read.

Furthermore, Ross’ players feel as though he plays a real part in contributing to a beneficial team culture.

“The players feel that Ross significantly contributes to a positive team culture, a rank of 1 out of 32,” the report card read.

Last but not least, they believe Ross is very committed to building a competitive squad in Miami.

“The players feel that Ross is extremely committed to building a competitive team, a rank of 1 of the 32 NFL owners,” the report card read.

Ross became involved in Dolphins ownership in 2008 and became the majority owner of the franchise in 2009.

The 84-year-old is clearly a respected figure among Dolphins players, and perhaps his penchant for catering to his players has played a part in the team’s regular-season success in recent years.

The Dolphins made the playoffs in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, giving them consecutive playoff appearances for the first time in over two decades. Unfortunately, those playoff appearances had quick endings, and the Dolphins are still without a postseason victory during the Ross era.

Miami had a real puncher’s chance to qualify for the playoffs in the 2024 season but came up just short. In order to achieve such a milestone for a third season in a row, the Dolphins would’ve needed a win in their season finale against the New York Jets, and the Kansas City Chiefs wouldn’t needed to beat the Denver Broncos in Week 18. Neither of those boxes got checked.

Hopefully, Ross’ Dolphins can muster their way back into the playoffs in the 2025 campaign. So long as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa can stay healthy and on the field, Dolphins fans should be optimistic about the team’s chances of making its third playoff appearance across a four-season span.