Dates announced for Miami Dolphins joint practices with Atlanta, Washington and Tampa Bay

Joint practices are quickly becoming the preferred choice of cross-team preparation for the NFL season. Instead of offering 60 minutes of high-definition film with a preseason game, these practices allow coaches to test strategy against live opponents freely.

The NFL announced Monday that there will be 22 joint sessions between teams this preseason and three of them include the Miami Dolphins. The Atlanta Falcons arrive in Miami Gardens on Aug. 6. The Dolphins host the Washington Commanders beginning on Aug. 15, before voyaging to practice against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Aug. 21.

“It breaks camp up,” McDaniel said last year when discussing joint practices. “It gives a little newness to it. It reinvigorates it, but it also – there’s only so much scheme that one side of the ball can have.

“You get different players that you have to go against and subtle schematic nuances that are different that really help the players get prepared for preseason and then regular season.”

Since McDaniel became coach, the Dolphins have scheduled joint practices with seven of their nine preseason opponents. Last season, Miami conducted practices with the Falcons and Houston Texans. In 2022, the Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles both practiced with the Dolphins.