Through the first nine games of their 2023 campaign, the Miami Dolphins have put together a 6-3 record with some incredible performances, including a 70-point output against the Denver Broncos.
With the NFL regular season now consisting of 17 games, there’s no true midpoint in the year, and now seems like a good time to reflect.
Sports Illustrated did this by asking 39 NFL executives (general managers, assistant general managers, vice presidents, directors of player personnel and pro scouting directors) to vote on midseason awards, including MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the Year, Defensive Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year.
Four different Dolphins received votes for these awards.
Both quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (two) and wide receiver Tyreek Hill (three) received multiple votes for league MVP, with both leading the NFL in multiple statistics.
The executives voted to give Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson the award, but Miami’s top two offensive players are getting recognition that they deserve.
That continued in the Offensive Player of the Year voting, which Hill won with 21 of the 39 votes. The award has essentially turned into the best non-quarterback offensive player award, and Hill has been just that through nine games.
He beat out Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (seven votes), San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (six) and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
No Dolphins were considered for Defensive Player of the Year or either of the top rookie honors, but two members of the organization who don’t put on the uniform each week were recognized for their efforts.
Mike McDaniel received 2.5 votes for Coach of the Year, finishing in fifth place behind Dan Campbell, John Harbaugh, Nick Sirianni, DeMeco Ryans and Doug Pederson. If the Dolphins see improvement down the stretch and beat some teams with winning records, McDaniel will jump up the list at the end of the year.
Meanwhile, general manager Chris Grier received votes for Executive of the Year. His three votes put him in fifth as well, behind Howie Roseman (13), Brad Holmes (8.5), Eric DeCosta (five) and Nick Caserio (3.5). Grier’s trade for Jalen Ramsey and signings of key contributors like David Long Jr. and DeShon Elliott have already impacted their season and could be a huge part of why they make a run this year.
With the amount of talent that the Dolphins have on the field, on the coaching staff and in the front office, the sky is the limit for their potential, and it’s a big reason why they’re in first place in the AFC East and among the top four in the conference heading into their bye week.