Training camp skirmishes are commonplace and usually don't call for much attention from a media perspective. But Tuesday's skirmish in Miami may have a lasting impact for a team whose toughness has been called into question in recent years.
The skirmish started when Jaylen Wright and cornerback Kader Kohou started shoving each other during a third-and-short drill. Things escalated when Kahou was lifted up, then thrown to the ground by offensive tackle Patrick Paul.
The incident apparently inspired perennial Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey to issue a passionate speech to the team that lasted roughly 10 minutes. The overall message of Ramsey's speech was about him and his teammates "being the bully" in 2024.
"I think the fight we had today was amazing. We need that. Teams that I've been on that won, those teams fought," receiver Tyreek Hill said, via the Miami Herald. "They aren't going to fight in the locker room. This is where you fight. Then right after the play you calm yourself down, in between the whistle you're right back at it with no mental errors."
Miami fighting the narrative of being a soft team isn't new. In fact, that label was stamped on Don Shula's Dolphins after they were humiliated by the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl VI. Shula's squad responded by going undefeated in 1972 and successfully defending its title in 1973.
Dan Marino's Dolphins faced similar scrutiny a decade later given their reputation as a passing team. Fair or not, the soft label was validated in the eyes of many after Miami was beat up by the 49ers in Super Bowl XIX. The Dolphins never made it back to the Super Bowl with Marino, whose last two playoff defeats came by a combined score of 100-10. Those playoff blowouts reinforced the narrative of Miami not being a physical team.
The current Dolphins have been hit with similar criticism after staggering to the finish line each of the last two seasons. But given what transpired Tuesday, it's clear Miami is highly motivated to change the narrative while also getting the franchise to places it hasn't been in years.
"I think that everybody's mentality coming in, [including] new guys like myself is to be physical," inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks said. "We want to be feared. Right now we're in the process of doing that. Not everyday is going to be perfect, but that's why we put the pads on [and] working in the heat. We're emphasizing it day after day."