The 2026 Miami Dolphins are in a rebuild; this is a fact. However, one of their stars is expecting the team to outperform expectations. Left tackle Patrick Paul sat down with his predecessor and future Hall of Fame candidate, Terron Armstead, on the former Dolphins’ podcast, “The Set.”
Paul told Armstead that a different mentality would be on display with this version of the Dolphins and had a message for fans. Paul said, “I expect them to see a gritty team. With this new leadership, we’re definitely coming different.”
He went on to elaborate as he detailed, “A hard-working team that’s going to be very disciplined, a team that’s going to play all through four quarters, in all different weather situations. Just expect a team that’s going to go out there and shock people.”
🎥 Patrick Paul believes the 2026 Miami Dolphins will shock people:
“I expect them to see a gritty team. With this new leadership, we’re definitely coming different… a hard working team that’s going to be very disciplined, a team that’s going to play all through four quarters,… pic.twitter.com/wwGdiRoial
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) July 10, 2026
These words were very telling, as the stigmas held against Miami over the last several years have been a certain lack of toughness, as well as an inability to adjust in the second half and well-documented problems in cold-weather situations with the elements in play.
Also discussed on the show was Paul breaking down his own performance from 2025, as the third-year player and 2024 second-round pick broke down his season, telling Armstead, “It was good ball that I played, being completely honest, but there’s definitely more. The mindset’s always like more; it’s got to be better.”
He elaborated, “Because whenever you watch it, I’m not watching the good stuff; I’m watching where I messed up when I look back to the season.” In his first full season as a starter, Paul continued about his 2025 play, saying, “Definitely a good intro, but I want more, I want it to be more clean; I want it to be more consistent.”
New head coach Jeff Hafley and first-year general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan have echoed the desire to change the culture in South Florida. Although there could be growing pains in this new regime, Paul’s comments are in coordination with the mindset of the new regime, and the left tackle will be one of the leaders in the locker room in 2026 and certainly among the top five players on the roster.
Paul and Armstead discussed other topics, ranging from his rookie season to former coach Mike McDaniel, as well as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and his time in Miami, who is now looking to win the Atlanta Falcons’ starting job. Paul and the Dolphins will begin training camp as a full unit on July 28, with rookies reporting on the 21.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins young lineman says Miami will ‘shock people’ in 2026
