{
  "id": 4060378,
  "title": "Can't blame Jeff Hafley for holding out Miami Dolphins starters",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/cant-blame-jeff-hafley-for-holding-out-miami-dolphins-starters",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-28T23:48:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/cant-blame-jeff-hafley-holding-234836963.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Miami Dolphins roster remains alarmingly thin as they prepare for the regular season. Coach Jeff Hafley, understandably, has refrained from starting key players due to concerns about potential injuries and the team's survival. The Dolphins' salary cap situation is exacerbated by a massive $179.9 million in dead cap money allocated to players no longer on the roster, compared to $148.6 million on the active roster. This leaves Miami in dire straits, with the second unit resembling a championship contender's third team and the third unit looking more like a practice squad. The Falcons' decision to start Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback, a move with a $99.2 million dead cap hit, further highlights the poor roster decisions of the previous regime. The team appears to have only three true starters—De Von Achane, Jordyn Brooks, and Aaron Brewer. With a schedule that appears increasingly challenging and a roster that is talent-starved, Miami fans are left to hope that the younger players can develop into starters over time.",
  "summary": "The Miami Dolphins held out their starters in a preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons. It's hard to blame Jeff Hafley. Look at his roster.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Former Dolphins first-round pick to start against Miami on Friday",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/former-dolphins-first-round-pick-to-start-against-miami-on-friday",
        "published": "2026-08-26T17:38:04.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}