Hafley Links Receiver Progress to Health, Conditioning and Confidence

With Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell getting back on the field after injuries, Miami Dolphin Head Coach Jeff Hafley is seeing their confidence growing.

"Caleb kind of started off fast, got injured, has come back, and he's done a nice job again," Hafley said of Douglas. "I think he'll continue to improve the more he plays, the more confidence he has."

Of Bell, Hafley said, "You're starting to see a guy who really didn't have any training camp." He added that Bell is "getting in shape and he's able to play more. He's being physical in the run game and he's made some big catches, had some big catching runs, had some big third down conversions."

Still Room to Grow

"There's still room for so much improvement," Hafley said of the young receivers. "They're still so young in this game and in this league."

The coach's explanation connected opportunity with preparation. Returning to action is one step, while building the conditioning, confidence and experience to perform consistently is another.

Kevin Coleman Jr.'s Touchdown Is Not the Only Thing Hafley Sees

Kevin Coleman Jr .'s recent touchdown catch drew Hafley's praise, but the coach also highlighted the receiver's work away from the ball. Miami's roster lists his full name as Kevin Coleman Jr.

"If you watch Kevin and you don't look at the ball and where it's going, Kevin's doing a good job of getting open," Hafley said. "Kevin Coleman popped last week and had a nice touchdown catch."

He also noted the basic limit on distributing opportunities.

"There's one football. There needs to be constant improvement and development," Hafley said of the group. Coleman's touchdown and ability to get open are encouraging signs within that continuing process.

Hafley Wants Film and Experience to Shape Malik Willis' Decisions

The head coach's plan for helping quarterback Malik Willis make better decisions starts with film, repetition and experience.

"Watch tape," Hafley said. "Show him the situations. Show him other people in the same situations." He said that includes showing elite quarterbacks facing similar decisions.

"It's easier to watch and say you should do that," Hafley said. "We've got to take a step back and he's the one who's actually doing it."

Willis must learn from good plays and mistakes alike, Hafley said. "He's got to learn from all of it."

"It's just teaching and showing and doing it in practice and then having the opportunity to do it in the game," Hafley said. "Do it better this week than he did it last week."

Hafley's approach pairs patience for a quarterback gaining experience with the expectation that those lessons produce better decisions in the next game. And with his young receivers growing in their game, the offense will start to improve as they sync up with Willis.

This story was originally published by Athlon on Nov 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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