The 2026 Miami Dolphins season will provide the players on the team’s roster with an opportunity to prove they belong on an NFL team.
Miami’s roster is being questioned league-wide, as the team is not predicted to be a contender in 2026. Instead, the expectation is that Miami is in the first phase of a multi-year rebuild, similarly to their position in 2019.
As a result, the Dolphins have a mixture of young players getting ready to make their mark in the NFL and veterans who have struggled to earn roles on previous teams or even on the Dolphins. Now, one of those veterans, who has been the topic of much discussion due to his athleticism, has been predicted to be cut by the Dolphins ahead of the 2026 season.
Miami Dolphins Predicted to Cut Ties With Veteran Defender
Dolphins Wire’s Mike Masala released his 53-man roster projection for the Dolphins ahead of the 2026 NFL season. Among the players he predicted would be cut was cornerback Ethan Bonner, who has been a source of intrigue around Miami due to his exceptional speed.
Prior to the team’s training camp, Bonner was ranked by Dolphins on SI’s Alain Poupart as the 39th most important Dolphins player. Poupart wrote: “Bonner continues to be one of the most intriguing players on the roster because his speed consistently has been praised by his teammates and yet he hasn’t quite broken through to earn a big role on defense yet. There’s nothing to keep it from happening this summer, but he still has to get it done.”
Poupart disagreed with Masala as he predicted Bonner would be on Miami’s roster.
Cornerback is a position that should be monitored during training camp, as not only does it feature Bonner, but rookie first-round pick Chris Johnson, former second-round pick Juju Brents, who has impressed, and some injured players like Duck, alongside veterans without much starting experience.
Ethan Bonner’s Roster Possibilities
At this point, it’s safe to say that Bonner is not a lock to make the Dolphins roster. FanSided’s Matt Fitzgerald listed him as a player with his future on the line in this year’s training camp. Fitzgerald wrote:
“While it’s possible that Ethan Bonner could suddenly break out into a starting-caliber player in his fourth NFL season, that seems like wishful thinking. If Sullivan or the Jeff Hafley-led coaching staff believed that much in Bonner, they wouldn’t have sought out so many acquisitions at the cornerback position…
Bonner has to contend with a former second-round pick in JuJu Brents, who should have the inside track for the Dolphins’ CB2 job opposite Johnson. Even tenured Miami corner Storm Duck has seen far more action on defense than Bonner ever has.
It’s not like cornerback was a great position for the Dolphins in recent years. They were always fighting to plug that hole. Jalen Ramsey’s injury-addled two-season run only went so far.
One saving grace for Bonner’s roster case is the fact that Baker and Duck are on the PUP list to start training camp. Nevertheless, it’s easy to see how Sullivan and Co. could send Bonner packing.”
Dolphins Predicted to Cut ‘Intriguing’ Defender After Training Camp