Under former head coach Mike McDaniel, the Miami Dolphins appeared to have a prototype for what they wanted out of their wide receivers. With Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the Dolphins possessed the fastest wide receiver duo in the NFL. However, what the team had in speed they also lacked in size.
During McDaniel’s four year tenure as head coach, the Dolphins tried to address this issue; however, for a variety of different reasons the team was unable to find a successful big-bodied receiving threat.
One of the first attempts at solving this issue was fourth-round pick Erik Ezukanma, who at 6-foot-2, appeared to have a shot at carving out a role for himself with the Dolphins. Unfortunately, injuries and lack of playing time derailed Ezukanma’s career, but the 26-year-old recently expressed his desire to return to the NFL, and possibly via a Dolphins reunion.
Former Miami Dolphins Wide Receiver Expresses Desire to Return to NFL
Erik Ezukanma, who spent three seasons with the Miami Dolphins, expressed his desire to get another chance in the NFL after not being on an active roster for the 2025 season.
Ezukanma is currently part of the DC Defenders of the United Football League, which he’s hoping can get him ready for a potential training camp invitation from an NFL team.
“To me, like the whole structure of everything, and I know that there’s a window here that I have in spring football before the NFL training camps,” Ezukanma said on the Fish Tank podcast with former Dolphins player OJ McDuffie. “Right now, stay healthy, you know, play very well. Try to play the best I can and help this team win. Right now, it’s not even stats or or how many touchdowns I get. It’s more.”
The former Dolphins receiver added, “So what I can do on the field in all facets, special teams and offense, to help this team win. And hopefully getting an invite from an NFL team or get brought back to the Miami Dolphins as an option. I know that there’s a new front office, and there’s a lot of players on the team that I still know and and would instantly gel with, but the master plan is to get back on an NFL roster and compete in a training camp to further my career.”
Potential Dolphins Reunion
During his NFL career, Ezukanma struggled to make much of an impact as he totaled only one reception for three yards, alongside five rushing attempts. Those five rushing attempts all occurred during the first two games of the 2023 season as the Dolphins appeared to integrate Ezukanma’s skillset into the offense. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury and did not play for the rest of the season.
Regarding a possible reunion, Dolphins on SI’s Alain Poupart wrote:
“During his time in Miami, Ezukanma showed good open-field running ability, particularly for someone 6-2.
After the Dolphins took three wide receivers in the 2026 draft to go along with free agent additions Jalen Tolbert, Tutu Atwell and Terrace Marshall Jr., it’s not likely they would look to bring him back, but as new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan pointed out, you never know when a rash of injuries can hit a position and they could do worse than taking another look at Ezukanma.”
Former Miami Dolphins Wide Receiver Expresses Desire to Return