Dolphins' leadership support rookies after rough start to 2025 season

Matt Sullivan

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Dolphins' leadership support rookies after rough start to 2025 season image

The Miami Dolphins haven't had the greatest 2025 so far, as even their lone win of the year was accompanied by a gruesome injury to Tyreek Hill that ended his 2025 season, and likely his time with the Dolphins.

While the team as a whole has struggled a ton this season, with a 1-4 record through the first five weeks, including a heart-wrenching loss to the Carolina Panthers, the team's two top rookies have massively underperformed this season.

Kenneth Grant and Jonah Savaiinaea haven't played well this season, both struggling in their rookie years. However, as Michael France of Sports Illustrated shares, the Dolphins' leaders, including Mike McDaniel, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Aaron Brewer, and many others, expressed their support for the struggling rookie duo.

Dolphins' leadership shares support for Jonah Savaiinaea and Kenneth Grant amid poor starts

"There's a belief in those guys that they' get through to the other side and feel extremely happy about their play, but it's going to be earned," McDaniel said.

After both Grant and Savaiinaea's lackluster starts to their NFL careers, McDaniels believes they have what it takes to improve, but he also acknowledges that both need to improve themselves, as it's not up to anyone else to play better but themselves.

Fitzpatrick echoed the same sentiment. "That's something that (Grant) has to do himself. You're a professional football player. If you need any external motivation - which I'm not saying he does, I'm just saying in regards to what you're presenting - if you need any type of external motivation, then you're in a bad spot."

The Dolphins can't walk with Grant and Savaiinaea while holding their hands. Both rookies need to step up on their own. But, just as Fitzpatrick was blunt in his assessment of Grant, he did highlight how much work he's putting in.

"But at the end of the day," Fitzpatrick said, "I see Grant work. I see all these other ookies work, and I know that they're trying to sharpen their tools and get better. There's a period for grace, but then there's also a period for sharpening. Even though they're young, they're out there on the field and they have a job to do."

Neither Grant nor Savaiinaea has played at a high level yet this season through five games. As FinsXtra shared on Twitter/X, according to PFF, the Dolphins' rookie duo has the worst and second-worst grades among all rookies drafted in the first and second rounds so far this season.

Both Savaiinaea and Grant have struggled at their positions along the offensive and defensive line, respectively. But it's only week five, and there's still time to rebound from this poor start.

Aaron Brewer said, "Just don't get too down on yourself and make anything bigger than it is. ... Don't get too frustrated, it's the NFL. It's a long season, you're also a rookie - you've never been in this position before. Just stay in the film room. When we're out on the field, the little things that you know you need to fix, lock in on it, focus on it, and get better."

Jaelan Philips believes that for both struggling rookies, "they'll be just fine." Malik Washington chimed in and said, "There's not really a time for them to figure things out; they've got to learn it right now. We've got to be better. We've got to go win football games. So for the rookies, obviously, it's a tough spot they're in, but we've got to be ready to go right now."

More: Should Miami Dolphins fire Mike McDaniel after Week 5 loss?

Miami at 1-4 is likely heading towards an offseason of change. Rumors are swirling about McDaniel being fired, and with the injury to Hill in week 4, there's even more reason to view the 2025 season as a lost one for Miami.

Even if these two rookies continue to struggle all year long, both need to remember that they can bounce back in 2026 and turn their rookie year into a small anecdote of their NFL career.

But, if they can't show promise the rest of the way, then the concerns about both will be hard to ignore. Savaiinaea and Grant are already feeling the heat, with both rookies struggling right out of the gate so far in the first five games of their NFL careers.

The Dolphins' leadership has their backs, but they also recognize that the onus is on both rookies to turn their seasons around. They can begin course correcting their tough rookie season with a week six matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, who are dealing with plenty of their own issues coming into the matchup in Miami.

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Matt Sullivan

Matt Sullivan is a freelance writer for The Sporting News, predominantly covering MLB. Matt is a native of Pennsylvania and has worked with Athlon Sports, Last Word on Sports, and other outlets.