The Miami Dolphins may need to reassess their mentality following a joint practice with the Chicago Bears at Halas Hall on Friday.
According to Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald, the Bears’ defense brought a physical edge to the session, reportedly delivering several questionable hits to Dolphins offensive players, including wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, running back De’Von Achane, and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Kelly reported that Tagovailoa was tackled multiple times—an unusual occurrence during joint practices, where quarterbacks are typically off-limits to contact.
He believes Miami’s coaching staff failed to defend their players out of fear that doing so would reinforce the perception that the team lacks toughness.
“What are you going to do? Complain that they’re hitting too hard?” Kelly said on his “Dolphins in Depth” podcast. “But it was clearly dirty. Tua got knocked to the ground more than once. And what can you do when the league already sees your team as soft?”
Kelly was also critical of how the Dolphins’ offense reacted, accusing them of shutting down instead of rising to the challenge.
“What bothered me most is they got hit in the mouth—and they folded,” Kelly said. “You saw it happen during the 11-on-11 drills.”
He argued that Miami should have matched the Bears’ intensity, and that the coaching staff should be concerned by the lack of pushback—especially after seeing their quarterback repeatedly hit.
By staying silent about the rough play and failing to respond, the Dolphins further fed the narrative that head coach Mike McDaniel’s team lacks grit.
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