The Dolphins are preparing to take on the Atlanta Falcons for their final game of the 2026 preseason, which is also expected to feature Tua Tagovailoa’s first meeting with his former team. The Falcons announced Tagovailoa is expected to start Friday’s preseason contest, his first against the team that released him during the offseason. Heading into Friday’s matchup, the Dolphins are expected to finalize their roster to kick off the start of a new year after an offseason filled with major moves, including the hiring of former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as head coach. Hafley acknowledged the harsh reality of what Friday’s game means for players seeking to prove their worth to earn a spot on the final 53-man roster. “It’s who’s gonna take a step and who’s gonna, you know, be able to show us that we can trust them to go into the stadium and do their job at a high level,” said Hafley. The message inside the Fins’ locker room: be ready for anything. Several players are prepared for the likelihood that some of the teammates they’ve worked with through the past three weeks won’t be suiting up for Week 1. “The locker room seems empty the next day after that cut day, you know, it sucks whenever you get to know a guy, like you said, and see how hard they work but it was all part of our dream and we’ve all wanted to be here but it’s a business at the end of the day so it’s definitely tough,” said Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers. Months of training and working out with the team only to find out you won’t make it on the final roster can be crushing. South Florida pro edge rusher Josh Uche used an old African proverb to offer valuable wisdom in that difficult battle for roster spots. “‘Soldier come, soldier go,’ so you just got to keep going, you know, and things change but you got to be where your feet are and control the controllable,” said Uche. Every NFL team has until 6 p.m. on Sunday to trim their rosters down from 90 players to the regular season limit of 53. For some Dolphins players, it will be their childhood dreams being realized. Others will find out it’s the end of the road, for now. ...read more read less