Congratulations to the Miami Dolphins for being named the “NFL’s golden standard” by the NFL Players Association.

The players vote on these grades.

From the Miami Dolphins team website,

“The Dolphins earned the best marks in the league in 2024 and topped the class again in 2025.

The Dolphins received an ‘A+’ grade in the following categories: food/dining area, nutritionist/dietician, locker room, weight room, strength coaches, team travel, head coach, and ownership. They got an ‘A’ in treatment of families, training room, and staff.”

In addition, the Miami Dolphins players voted an “A” grade for Coach Mike McDaniel, the organization, and the Owner, Stephen Ross.

The Miami Dolphins players enjoy the $135 million complex, which features a 125,000-square-foot training facility and a 92,200-square-foot indoor field, totaling 227,200 square feet of indoor space and two grass practice fields.

The Dolphins facility has a state-of-the-art gym, hydrotherapy, and dedicated recovery areas.

The players live with an excellent salary, no income taxes, a comfortable lifestyle, and beautiful weather.

The focus on football can be difficult.

And the beach is just a stone’s throw away.

I can only imagine being a rookie or a first-time NFL player coming to Miami, either to be recruited or as a free agent, unfamiliar with the Miami Dolphins complex.

How much money Stephen Ross has spent on the Miami Dolphins facilities is incredible.

Yet, prioritizing football must be complex in Miami.

We wonder why Coach Mike McDaniel struggles with cultural issues.

Yet, in South Florida, you cannot be a “nice guy Coach” and tolerate players coming in late because they party at night.

Fullback Larry Csonka and halfback Jim Kiick, aka “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” players from the undefeated 1972 team, also enjoyed the South Florida lifestyle.

Despite the distractions of living in Miami, they also focused on winning.

They had to win, as losing was not tolerated.

And those players, living in South Florida, not only won the Super Bowl but went undefeated!

It is up to Coach McDaniel to establish the expectations and discipline required to play in South Florida.


Tom Ernisse’s 2025 Miami Dolphins Free Agency Plan (Part 1)