Jeff Hafley is new to South Florida and just finished his first game — a preseason game — as Miami Dolphins coach. And it appears he already has a sense that this area isn’t renowned for patience. Shocking, isn't it? Buy Miami Dolphins tickets on StubHub A day after the 20-7 loss to Washington, Hafley took a moment to remind everyone rookies do make mistakes. And just as one good performance never sent a rookie to the Hall of Fame, one bad performance doesn’t wreck a career. More Miami Dolphins: Miami Dolphins takeaways: Good day for Malik Willis, Green Bay imports Hafley was asked what he’s looking for from his rookies in 2026. “Growth,” Hafley replied, followed by this plea for patience:
“People are so quick to judge,” he said. “Someone might make a comment, say, ‘Oh, I thought he’d be better.’ I say, ‘What do you mean? It’s his first game.’ Like, ‘What are we talking about?’ Right? It’s the first time the guy’s playing in the NFL in a real game, in a real stadium, in a real scheme. Let’s give them some time. I mean, there’s some guys who struggling their first year as rookies and they go on to be All-Pros. That happens all the time.
“So what’s important for me is a lot of these guys are going to play. I want to see growth and I want to see them become more consistent. I want to see them become confident. And hopefully, we’ll look back and we’ll turn on the tape and as we get into the latter part of the season, you’re going to see them taking big steps. And I think that’s really important. "We’ve got to keep coaching them. We’ve got to keep believing in them and just not be so quick to judge. “I get it — everybody wants him to be Pro Bowlers this year. I do, too. That’s just not the reality of playing football in this league.” Hal Habib covers the Miami Dolphins for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at HHabib@usatodayco.com. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins' Jeff Hafley: 'People are so quick to judge' rookies