Miami’s 2025 preseason opener vs. Chicago ended in a 24-24 tie, but the throughline was clear: the Dolphins intend to push the envelope with fourth-down aggressiveness and test a broad depth chart early. Tagovailoa sat for a single series, yet the staff showed comfort rolling the dice on a 4th-and-3 from midfield, a signal that unconventional, high-leverage play-calling may border the game plan all season. Malik Washington flashed as a potential mid-range playmaker, and Alexander Mattison carved out a visible short-yardage role with a 1-yard TD plunge that underscored a practical path to red-zone production.

Behind the starter, the backup competition offered real intrigue. Zach Wilson led two early Dolphins TD drives, cementing why Miami kept him as the No. 2; while Quinn Ewers struggled early, bouncing between incompletions and a fumble, he settled somewhat later. The Bears leveraged Case Keenum for a touchdown pass to Deion Hankins, highlighting depth options at QB. Special teams also mattered, with Jason Sanders hitting a 56-yard field goal that punctuated Ewers’ fourth series. In fantasy terms, Mattison’s goal-line workload and Washington’s growing role stand out, while the QB puzzle remains a volatile but fruitful area for late-round depth and daily fantasy exposure.