Miami Dolphins have NFL’s youngest roster heading into 2026 season

LANDOVER, MD - AUGUST 14: Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis (2) hands the ball to running back De'Von Achane (28) during the Miami Dolphins preseason game versus the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium on August 14, 2026, in Landover, MD. (Photo by Lee Coleman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Miami Dolphins have concluded their preseason slate and have trimmed the roster down to 53 men after a flurry of cuts on Saturday and Sunday. As the dust settled, one thing became clear — the organization and new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan have embraced a youth movement regarding the 2026 version of the Dolphins.

The numbers prove it.

In a social media post sent out on Monday morning, Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post compiled a list of the youngest teams in the National Football League — and the Miami Dolphins easily boast the youngest roster in the entire league, with an average age of 25.3 years.

The Dolphins have – and it's not even close – the youngest roster in the NFL

Patience required

Average age of 53-man roster

Dolphins 25.3
Browns 25.9
Chiefs 26.1
Patriots 26.2
Lions 26.2
Packers 26.3
Titans 26.3
Jaguars 26.3

— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) August 31, 2026

The Dolphins beat out the Cleveland Browns as the youngest team in the league — with an average age that is 0.6 years younger than the AFC South squad. The Kansas City Chiefs come in third — 0.8 years older than Miami’s average player.

Conversely, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons have the oldest rosters in the league — with each having an average age of 27.4 years. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is obviously dragging that number up for Pittsburgh, but that means the age of an average Steelers or Falcons player in 2026 is a whopping 3.1 years older than the average Dolphins player.

Oldest 53-man rosters in the NFL

Steelers 27.4
Falcons 27.4
Rams 27.3
Broncos 27.2
Commanders 27.2
49ers 27.2

— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) August 31, 2026

So, what does that mean for Miami in 2026? It means that if the squad hopes to compete against a difficult schedule of talented teams, they’ll need to lean on their youth and athleticism, while being coached to their fullest potential by a new coaching staff led by head coach Jeff Hafley. It could be a rocky road ahead for the Dolphins this season, but watching a young team come into their own as the year unfolds should be a rewarding experience — even if that doesn’t translate to a lot of wins in the process.