A Bold Move to Bolster the Dolphins' Special Teams! New head coach Jeff Hafley is wasting no time, making a significant splash with his very first reported hire. He's plucked Chris Tabor from a division rival, the Buffalo Bills, to take the reins as the Dolphins' new special teams coach. This move signals a clear intent to inject new energy and expertise into a crucial, yet often overlooked, aspect of the game.
Why the Bills? Well, the Buffalo staff has been undergoing a bit of a shake-up following the recent dismissal of coach Sean McDermott. This created an opening, and Hafley was quick to seize the opportunity. Tabor isn't just a fresh face; he brings a wealth of experience, having served as a special teams coordinator for no fewer than four NFL teams! His impressive resume includes stints with the Cleveland Browns (from 2011 to 2017), the Chicago Bears (from 2018 to 2021), the Carolina Panthers (for the 2022 and 2023 seasons), and most recently, the Bills this past season.
But here's where it gets interesting... Tabor has even stepped into interim head coaching roles! After Frank Reich was let go, Tabor guided the Panthers for the remainder of the 2023 season, posting a 1-5 record. He also briefly coached the Bears in a single game back in 2021 when their head coach, Matt Nagy, was sidelined due to COVID-19 (a game the Bears unfortunately lost).
Now, for the Dolphins, Tabor, who is 54 years old, represents a significant change. He'll be the team's third special teams coach in just three years. This follows Danny Crossman, who was let go after the 2024 season, and Craig Aukerman, who was brought in a year ago but wasn't kept on by Hafley. This kind of turnover can be unsettling for a unit, but perhaps Hafley sees Tabor as the stable, experienced hand they desperately need.
And this is the part most people miss... Tabor's journey to the NFL is quite a story! He grew up in Missouri, played quarterback at Benedictine College, and honed his coaching skills at six different universities before finally breaking into the professional ranks with the Bears as their special teams coach in 2008. It’s a testament to his dedication and passion for the game.
He's inheriting a special teams unit with some real talent, including Malik Washington, who was one of the league's top returners last season. However, there are some big decisions looming. The Dolphins need to sort out their kicking situation, with a choice to be made between free agent Riley Patterson and the under-contract Jason Sanders. Plus, at punter, Jake Bailey is an impending free agent, meaning that spot could also be up for grabs.
Last season, the Dolphins' special teams weren't always the shining stars they'd hoped to be. They experienced some notable breakdowns, like a kickoff return for a touchdown by the Patriots in Week 2, a crucial roughing the passer penalty against Zach Sieler in a Week 3 game against Buffalo, and a rather unconvincing onside kick mishandling against New Orleans in November. These are precisely the kinds of lapses Tabor will be tasked with eliminating.
This news was originally reported on January 23, 2026, at 6:14 PM. Barry Jackson, a veteran reporter for the Miami Herald since 1986 and the author of the Florida Sports Buzz column since 2002, brought us this story.
Now, let's talk about it! Is hiring a coach from a division rival a sign of aggressive confidence, or a risky gamble? And with the pressure on to fix special teams, do you think Tabor is the right man for the job, or are there other areas the Dolphins should have prioritized? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below – we'd love to hear your take!
