After the Miami Dolphins finalized their initial 53-man roster on Sunday, they have been the busiest team in the NFL.
The Dolphins led the NFL with seven waiver wire additions, which led to Miami releasing seven players off their active roster. Additionally, the team opted to prioritize players from other organizations as they filled out their practice squad.
Among those players was one who had an offer to return to the Kansas City Chiefs, but preferred to join the Miami Dolphins.
Miami Dolphins Sign Former Kansas City Chiefs Tight End
ILB Liam Anderson EDGE Clelin Ferrell EDGE Amari Gainer DL Jordan Miller WR Will Sheppard CB Jaylin Simpson DL Mazi Smith TE Tre Watson
We have also released QB Mark Gronowski from the practice squad.
On September 1, the Miami Dolphins announced their practice squad additions as they posted on X: “Roster Moves | We have signed the following players to the practice squad: ILB Liam Anderson EDGE Clelin Ferrell EDGE Amari Gainer DL Jordan Miller WR Will Sheppard CB Jaylin Simpson DL Mazi Smith TE Tre Watson
We have also released QB Mark Gronowski from the practice squad.”
NFL reporter Aaron Wilson posted on X: “Tre Watson tight end signing with #Dolphins practice squad per source. Could have returned to #Chiefs on PS but chose Dolphins opportunity”
Dolphins on SI’s Alain Poupart ranked Watson the second-most important player the Dolphins added to their practice squad. Poupart wrote: “Yes, the Dolphins claimed tight end Justin Joly off waivers and he’s got the bigger upside, but this comes down to roles. Watson is a blocking specialist at tight end, and the Dolphins are in very short supply of those, particularly with rookie Will Kacmarek still nursing an injury.”
During final roster cuts, the Miami Dolphins waived former Green Bay Packers blocking tight end Ben Sims. That leaves Kacmarek as Miami’s primary blocking tight end on the roster, but he’s currently injured as Poupart mentioned.
If Kacmarek is unavailable for the season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders, Miami could activate Watson for the first two games of the season. However, if Watson remains on the practice squad, he can only be elevated twice unless the Dolphins plan to make him a member of the 53-man roster.
Perhaps Watson’s reason for joining Miami instead of remaining with the Chiefs is due to the opportunity that the Dolphins may provide.
Miami Dolphins Tight End Room
Miami’s tight end room is among many positions on the Dolphins with question marks. The team expects big things out of Kacmarek in the blocking department, while Greg Dulcich is expected to serve as the primary pass-catcher.
Regarding the room, The Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly wrote: “Dulcich has the potential to be an impactful offensive weapon if he can stay healthy. Kacmarek and Herman have had impressive camps, showcasing the toughness Jeff Hafley wants to be his team’s identity. Traore, a fifth-round pick hadn’t impressed one bit, but his draft status kept him safe. A turf toe injury kept Sims from contributing during the preseason, and he was waived injured on Monday after initially making Miami’s 53-man roster. Miami claimed Joly, who was the Denver Broncos’ 2026 fifth-round pick, off the waiver wire Monday.”
Among those players, only Greg Dulcich has previous NFL experience. While Tre Watson did not see the field in 2025, he did spend a year on Kansas City’s practice squad.
Dolphins Sign TE Who Rejected the Kansas City Chiefs