How are Miami Dolphins Spending Their Money in the NFL?
The Miami Dolphins are a member team of the American Football Conference East division of the National Football League. In Florida’s northern suburb of Miami Gardens, Hard Rock Stadium serves as the team’s home field. Stephen M. Ross is the team’s current owner. The Dolphins are Florida’s first-ever professional sports franchise. In 1966, they started competing in the AFL.
As a result of the 1970 AFL–NFL merger, Miami became a member of the NFL. In Super Bowl VI, the squad competed in their first Super Bowl and fell to the Dallas Cowboys, 24–3. The Dolphins won all 14 of their regular-season games and all three of their playoff games, including Super Bowl VII, the following year to complete the NFL’s first flawless season, which culminated in a victory in the big game.
The next year, the Dolphins won Super Bowl VIII, becoming the first team to appear in three straight Super Bowls, and the second team (the first AFL/AFC club) to win back-to-back championships. Miami also competed in Super Bowl XVII and Super Bowl XIX, losing both games.
Miami Dolphins – Spending in NFL
| Positional Group | Cap Hit (in millions) | League Rank | League Average (in millions) | Differential (in millions) | Percentage of Total Cap | League Average Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | $15.48 | 18 | $19.5 | $-4.02 | 7.16% | 9.51% |
| RB/FB | $18.69 | 4 | $11.7 | $6.99 | 8.64% | 5.71% |
| TE | $19.52 | 2 | $11 | $8.52 | 9.02% | 5.37% |
| WR | $24.88 | 13 | $23.7 | $1.18 | 11.5% | 11.56% |
| OL | $28.1 | 30 | $37.6 | $-9.5 | 12.99% | 18.34% |
| DL | $34.07 | 16 | $34.1 | $-0.03 | 15.75% | 16.63% |
| LB | $27.52 | 15 | $25.4 | $2.12 | 12.72% | 12.39% |
| DBs | $42.02 | 6 | $35.3 | $6.72 | 19.42% | 17.22% |
| ST | $6.05 | 18 | $6.5 | $-0.45 | 2.8% | 3.17% |
| Total | $216.33 | 10 | $205 | $11.33 | ||
| Dead Money | $8.48 | 26 | $21.88 | $-13.4 | ||
| Cap Space | $17.37 | 7 | $12.62 | $4.75 |
The Miami Dolphins are currently the NFL club with the best balance of expenditure between offense and defense for the 2022 season. The Dolphins’ expenditures on offense and defense are separated by less than $4 million. The Dolphins placed 21st in offensive expenditure and 12th in defensive spending in the NFL.
The Dolphins’ difference (skewed toward defense) was over $35 million in 2020 compared to less than $2 million in 2021. The Dolphins are among the top 10 teams with the fewest dead cap spaces in 2022, albeit they are not quite at the top.
