What to Make of This Dolphins Super Bowl Chatter

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said his team is "certainly a contender" for the Super Bowl.

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross watches from the sidelines during the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium last season. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

During a brief chat, What Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross told the team's preseason television broadcast team Saturday night became a topic of conversation after the victory against the Washington Commanders.

His comment that the Dolphins "certainly" are Super Bowl contenders was brought up to head coach Mike McDaniel and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and the reaction is precisely what you would have — or should have expected.

Tua took a little detour before giving a full answer, asking the reporter who posed the question whether he thought the Dolphins were contenders. After the reporter said he believed there were about ten contenders, Tua doubled down by asking the reporter (namely, Joe Schad from the Palm Beach Post) whether he thought the Dolphins were in that group, and Schad replied that he thought so.

"You think so?" Tua then said. "Yeah, I would say that's the reason we play this game. If none of us have the belief that we can do it, it won't happen for us on our team. So of course we have that belief."

McDaniel answers the question this way: "Absolutely. I think from a team perspective, a lot of times people hesitate to talk about goals in case you don't achieve them. I don't really operate that way. There's a lot of steps before that, so I don't think necessarily it's on our guys' minds right now because our goals are creating our standard and then winning the next game, and then you try to do the vision, and then you try to win the conference, and you try to win the Super Bowl. But I like the building and including the owner, having the mindset of let's be bold, don't be afraid of anything."

Ross commented on being asked — again, this was the team broadcast — about the state of the roster.

"Right now, we have a great roster and I think everybody has great expectations," Ross said. "But hey, it's the old injury bug. You got to make sure that that doesn't happen like last year. I think without that and we stay healthy, I think we're certainly a contender for the Super Bowl."

ARE THE DOLPHINS REALLY SUPER BOWL CONTENDERS?

An instant reaction to Ross' comments could be that it's bold talk for the owner of an organization that hasn't been to the Super Bowl in 40 years and hasn't won a playoff game since the 2000 season.

But again, Ross is the owner. He's appearing on the team's preseason broadcast, and practically everyone tuning in is a Dolphins fan, so what's the harm in throwing that in there?

Besides, it's not like we're talking about the Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, or Las Vegas Raiders, teams that have struggled recently and appear headed for a season in which getting the top overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft seems a lot more realistic than going to New Orleans for the next Super Bowl.

Now is the time to remind everyone that the Dolphins were in contention for the first seed in the AFC playoffs as late as Week 17 last season before they were manhandled in their showdown against the Baltimore Ravens. Then, the year before, the Dolphins were half a game between the Kansas City Chiefs for the No. 1 spot in the AFC for 12 weeks.

Another one: the Dolphins are one of four teams, along with the Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Pittsburgh Steelers, with a winning record each of the past four seasons.

So, of course, the Dolphins are right to be talking about themselves as Super Bowl contenders, and that would have applied even without Ross' comments.

Now, exactly where you want to rank the Dolphins among the top teams is up to personal preference or opinion, but there's zero question they are among those teams that could win it all if things go right — yes, even if the team is 1-12 against playoff opponents the past two seasons.

Most power rankings or betting odds have the Dolphins behind teams like KC, Buffalo, Baltimore, Houston, and Cincinnati among AFC teams, but we base this on what happened last season and the season before that.

Maybe this is the year the Dolphins can elevate their game against top competition and avoid key injuries down the stretch.

Again, there's nothing wrong with stating that you see yourself and your team as Super Bowl contenders, particularly after the team owner makes that statement over the airwaves.

It's part of the game at this time of year.