Richard Sherman Podcast - Jeff Hafley on REBUILDING Dolphins, roster cuts, 2026 Draft Picks & NFL coaching philosophy

One of my favorite coaches is here—my old DB coach who climbed from position rooms to leading the Miami Dolphins. You’ve worn a lot of hats fast; which stop shaped you the most on this path?

Coaching a position early taught me how to connect, learn from great players, and teach at a high level. Going to Ohio State to call plays, then becoming a head coach, then coordinating again in the NFL—each jump exposed gaps, forced growth, and makes me far more ready now.

You were around elite leaders—Kyle Shanahan, Matt LaFleur, and big-time college coaches. What stuck with you from those rooms?

From Kyle, it was relentless accountability and commanding the whole team, not just one side of the ball. From Matt, it was holding the line on every detail, because the little things define your culture when you’re building with young players.

Miami made big, necessary changes—moving on from stars, clearing space, and resetting the culture. What drove those calls, and how does that set you up now?

We walked into a tough cap and more than thirty free agents, so we had to make hard choices with players I respect. We drafted thirteen guys, we’ll be very young, and we’ll develop them our way around a few strong vets while laying a real foundation.

You brought in Malik Willis and made him your guy. What made you target him so decisively?

I knew exactly who he was from two years together—accurate, especially deep, tough, athletic, and competitive, with a quiet pull that guys follow. We built trust through tailored game plans, and that leadership at quarterback is huge for what we’re building.

As a head coach, do you keep that collaboration with players that guys rave about, or does it change from your coordinator days?

I still ask what they see and give them ownership within the scheme because it raises buy-in and execution. If a rusher tells me where he wins or a DB ranks calls he loves on third down, I want that on the call sheet.

Your division showed a young, rebuilt team can compete right away. With lower outside expectations, do you still feel you can scrap weekly?

I want to win everything, but first we’ll build the right standards, create daily competition, and play harder than our opponents. If we play smart and coach well, we position ourselves for sustained success, and I’m aligned with ownership on that vision.

Thirteen picks is wild—any surprise values, like landing Proctor after a trade back?

Rodriguez lasting that long shocked me given his tape, production, and leadership. With Proctor, we were ready earlier, moved back, grabbed extra picks, and still got a young, massive, premium-position talent.

A lot of scouting gets lost in numbers; what traits did you prioritize across this class?

Tough, competitive players who love ball and whose tape proves it—even late picks like Taff showed instincts and effort. We don’t want finger-pointing or guys tapping out; we want finishers.

Fast-forward to February—what do you want people to say when they turn on your tape?

That we played fast, physical, and for each other, and that we got better every month. Our best ball needs to show up at the end, and we’ll celebrate the steps along the way.

You leaned on relationships to build the staff, even pulling from Boston College. How do those ties help continuity and identity?

You win with people you trust when adversity hits; that’s why Sean Duggan is coordinating the defense and freeing me to be fully present with the offense and the team now. Adding Ryan Down in the DB room, Matt Applebaum to the O-line, and Al Washington with the backers gives us teachers with edge who know how I want it done.

You also kept Bobby Slowick and bumped him up—love seeing his rise. What does he bring?

Bobby’s brilliant, knows defensive rules from our early days, is detailed and organized, and learned under an elite play caller. I trust him completely, and I think he’ll be a great head coach down the road.

You’re out of the booth and back on the sideline. How’s that switch feel?

I’m excited to be with the guys in the hard moments; the booth kept me calm, but presence matters on the field. I’ll stay level and hands-on.

Fourth downs—analytics page or gut feel?

Give me the numbers, but I’ll decide based on game flow and what the team needs; sometimes you go to send a message, sometimes you punt because short fields are deadly in today’s field-position world.

We’ve had legends at corner on the show; give me your three all-time, from your vantage point.

Darrelle Revis, Ronde Barber, and Richard Sherman—the separator is mindset and how they practiced. Even in walkthroughs they refused to concede a catch, and that edge is rare.

You’re one of my favorite coaches ever, and I’m fired up to watch you turn this thing. Anything you want to leave with the fans?

We’re building it the right way with the right people, and I can’t wait to get to OTAs, camp, and kickoff. I’m grateful for the support and excited to get rolling.

We’ll talk soon—and man, December in South Beach beats December in Green Bay by a mile.