Why the Dolphins were in need of a culture reset in 2025 - ESPN

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — A fight between two Miami Dolphins players during a sweltering August joint practice session with the Chicago Bears might have looked like a team tearing itself apart. But for people within the organization, it was one of the first positive signs that an important change had taken hold.

During team drills, linebacker Jordyn Brooks took exception to teammate and fellow linebacker Tyrel Dodson for not, in Brooks' view, being physical enough with a Bears offensive player during a particular rep. Ultimately, both players had to be separated as tempers flared.

Afterward, Brooks and Dodson apologized to Dolphins teammates and coach Mike McDaniel for the scuffle. They later gave a joint interview in the locker room after the teams' preseason game that weekend, downplaying the incident as an argument between brothers, but the clash was seen within the team as a resounding example of players taking pride in a new standard of accountability the franchise had tried to instill this offseason.

«Honestly in Chicago, with [Brooks and Dodson] — [it was] players holding players accountable,» linebacker Bradley Chubb told ESPN. «We were in the heat of battle, so it got a little bit more heated than it should have.… Just guys getting in each other's face, but at the end of the day, knowing it's all love and this is about pushing each other to be the best.

»It was probably the biggest turning point for our defense this offseason because we saw two alphas going at it and pushing each other to be better."

Since their disappointing 2024 season ended, the Dolphins — according to multiple current and former players, coaches and team officials — have sought to improve the culture inside their building. The team has