The Miami Dolphins have had their fair share of shortcomings in recent years, but all the while, they’ve had some major success stories with some individual players.
There may be no better example of that than defensive end Zach Sieler, who has taken his game to new heights over the past couple of seasons.
The way one NFL coordinator sees it, Sieler has become an “All-Pro caliber player.”
“He’s probably getting more credit [for his 2024 performance] because Christian Wilkins wasn’t there,” the coordinator said, via ESPN. “He’s worked himself into an All-Pro caliber player. Tough, smart, dependable, ultimate team guy.”
Sieler, who was originally a seventh-round pick in 2018, was waived by the Baltimore Ravens during his second NFL season, which opened the door for him to land with the Dolphins.
In his first few years with Miami, he was a solid contributor. But once the 2023 season came around, he leveled up. He put together a mammoth 2023 campaign with 10 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 22 quarterback hits and multiple turnovers generated.
For good measure, he was dominant once again in the 2024 season. Many of his numbers were similar, as he racked up 10 sacks, 13 tackles for loss and 19 quarterback hits while helping to generate multiple turnovers again.
The Dolphins are in a position where they may need to pay Sieler to keep him happy. After having to trade tight end Jonnu Smith following failed contract talks, the last thing Miami should want is to find itself in a similar situation with Sieler. The 29-year-old figures to be a crucial piece of any success the Dolphins may enjoy in the upcoming season.
One interesting note on Sieler is that even though he was described by the anonymous coordinator as an “All-Pro caliber player,” he is still without any major accolades at the NFL level, including any Pro Bowl nods. Now that he has had some dominant seasons to put himself on the map, perhaps some awards and honors will be in his future if he keeps playing at a high level.
For now, the hope for Dolphins fans is that Sieler will help the team get over the hump this coming season so that there will finally be some playoff success to talk about.
