The 2025 season is officially underway with the Miami Dolphins reporting Tuesday to the Baptist Health Training Complex for the start of camp. The Dolphins had great attendance during organized team activities throughout the spring and will now look to continue building toward the regular season, which is just 47 days out.
Linebacker Bradley Chubb, wide receiver Tyreek Hill, fullback Alec Ingold and new tight end Darren Waller met with the local South Florida media ahead of tomorrow's practice. Here are the highlights:
Darren Waller is excited for a new chapter in Miami
Waller on what he brings to Miami: "I expect to bring playmaking ability. There's a lot of guys on this team that can do amazing things with the ball. I'm excited just to be a part of that group. I feel like I can bring just some wisdom and experience to not only my position room, but to the team. I feel like everything you probably experienced, except probably winning the Super Bowl, is something I've gone through…"
Waller on his relationship with Dolphins OC Frank Smith: Frank is my guy, man. When I got claimed off the Ravens practice squad in 2018, I got to the Raiders and he was my tight ends coach, met me at the door and one of the first things he was interested in was what do I need as a man in my newfound sobriety, whatever I need to just be solid as a human being, and that struck me a lot. Then just his knowledge of the game, the culture that he created not only in our room, but just with how he interacted with players I thought was rare in coaches I had seen to that point. Some of the best years in my career were with him in the room and just some of my best football memories overall, so to be able to reconnect with him is amazing."
Waller on coming out of retirement and joining the Dolphins: "I was content in my retirement, but I also felt like this was a good opportunity for me to – if this is my last chapter playing football, to close it in a way that's different than I did before and one that allows me to tap into the joy of why I started doing it in the first place."
Wallers' teammates weigh in on his acquisition
Tyreek Hill on Waller's addition: "He's going to be great for us. His presence was felt immediately once he stepped into the locker room and some of the things he said about having that wisdom, being able to live through some of those experiences; what most players want to feel as far as like, being an All-Pro, being a Pro Bowler, being on a winning team, he's brought that to our team. So I think it's great. Obviously, he's a playmaker."
Alec Ingold on Waller's impact: "A lot of tight ends impact the game in a number of different ways, but that's one dude where I've been in gameplan meetings with him, and it's get the ball 15-20 times a game, he's going to take it over and he does. I think that's a rare quality and a feat."
Like Christmas Eve
Bradley Chubb on how hungry he is to get back on the field: "Starving. Starving, man. Starving. It's been a long time coming. OTAs, it was kind of just dipping the foot in, getting around the guys again. Feeling that team, that camaraderie, but now training camp's going, the season, you see it on the horizon. It's just about taking each and every day. That's what I miss the most about this, honestly, training camp is never fun. It sucks, you're doing it each and every day; but you're doing it together and that's what I missed about it. That's what it's all about, so I'm just excited to get back to that."
Alec Ingold on the approach to training: "I think we need to chase excellence on the daily, every day. There's power in every day that we wake up, we drive into work, we're in meetings every single day, you're watching film, you're on the practice field. Every day being excellent and chasing that I think allows for you to win football games in December and January."
The Dolphins are on the field Wednesday morning. We'll also hear from Head Coach Mike McDaniel and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. For all the latest coverage on Dolphins camp, download the Drive Time Podcast, wherever you get your podcasts, and check back here for the daily Training Camp Notebook.
