The Dolphins announced Monday the team captains for the 2026 season. Quarterback Malik Willis, inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks, running back De'Von Achane, center Aaron Brewer, offensive tackle Patrick Paul and defensive lineman Zach Sieler are the six captains for this year's team.
"The players voted for those guys, and I think they deserved it," Head Coach Jeff Hafley said Monday. "In each of their own way they've shown the ability to lead in all different ways. I think it says a lot about those six guys that they received the votes from their peers.
"Those guys set the standard of what we want and what we're looking for," Hafley continued. "But it doesn't end there. Developing leaders is very important and it doesn't have to just come from the captains."
Brooks, who earned the honor for a second-consecutive year, was named a team captain for the first time in 2025 ahead of an All-Pro campaign. His 185 total tackles last season led the NFL and his 326 tackles across his first two seasons with the team (2024-25) are the most by any player in his first two years as a Dolphin.
Like Brooks, Brewer enters his third season with the Dolphins and was named team captain for the second straight season. Brewer was named Second-Team All-Pro in 2025 and a finalist for the Protector of the Year Award, given to the top offensive lineman in the league. Brewer anchored an offensive line that helped the Dolphins produce the league's fourth-highest average yards per rush (4.7) in 2025.
A 2025 Pro Bowl selection, Achane's name is all over the record books three years into his career. He's amassed 4,334 yards from scrimmage and 35 touchdowns before his 25th birthday. Achane, Brewer and Brooks all received contract extensions this offseason.
"When you get paid around here, it's gonna be based on performance," Sullivan said. "And it goes without saying, when you turn the tape on, Jordyn Brooks, Aaron Brewer, and Achane, they're making a ton of plays. And then when I got here, and I watched [them], how they worked, and how guys followed them, and just how they practiced day in and day out, it quite frankly it was an easy decision."
Another two-time captain on the team is Sieler. The longest-tenured Dolphin is coming off three consecutive seasons with at least 10 tackles for loss. He's amassed 25.5 sacks over those three seasons and played a pivotal role in the development of three rookie position mates in Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers, who all appear poised for a big second season alongside the nine-year veteran.
"Zach sets up so many games and so many rushes for his teammates, and he takes so much pride in that," Hafley said. "Selfish rushers just want to rush, but Zach's perfectly okay with running a game, picking a guy, grabbing a guy and having his teammates come through and you can see how excited he gets about that."
Willis will don the captain's patch in his first season with the Dolphins. He joined the team as an unrestricted free agent back in March and has earned the respect and regard of his teammates each day since. In 11 games played with the Packers over the last two seasons, Willis accounted for nine total touchdowns (six passing and three rushing), averaged 10.9 yards per pass and completed 79 percent of his passes without throwing an interception.
"He's got this cool demeanor about him where guys kind of gravitate to him, where chaos could be going on around him and he still has that same look on his face whether we're winning or losing or what's going on in the moment," Hafley said of Willis. "And I think if you have somebody people are looking at in a role like that and he's panicked; you're going to create more panic. But if he's calm, guys are going to probably remain calm, and I think that's very important in a leadership role."
Third-year left tackle Patrick Paul is also a first-time captain. The 24-year-old enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2025 and is looking to take another step in 2026. Like Brewer, Paul was an essential piece in Miami's top-five rushing offense last season.
"Patrick Paul is a huge man with length that plays a big man's game," Sullivan said in his first media appearance as Dolphins G.M. "I'm really excited about going through the process with him as we build the rest of the offensive line."
It's officially game week in the NFL. For more on the Dolphins and their Week 1 trip to Las Vegas, download the Drive Time Podcast with Travis Wingfield and check back here for more written content as Sunday approaches.
