5 Players You Forgot Suited Up for the Miami Dolphins

An All-Star team of offensive players who ended their careers with the Miami Dolphins could easily be put together, and it would be a tough one to beat.

While Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas spent 12 of his 13 NFL seasons with the Buffalo Bills and is the franchise’s all-time leading rusher, he ended his career in a Dolphins uniform. He didn’t do much in Miami, and many NFL fans forget he even suited up for the team.

But Thomas isn’t the only high-profile player to end up in Miami after a stellar career somewhere else. Here is a list of five players, Thomas included, you may have forgotten who played for the Dolphins.

Related

5 Players You Forgot Suited Up for the Buffalo Bills

Terrell Owens with the Buffalo Bills? Yes, it happened during the 2009 NFL season.

1 Thurman Thomas

Thurman Thomas suited up for the Dolphins for nine games during the 2000 season

Just like Thurman Thomas forgot where he put his helmet in Super Bowl 26, you likely forgot Thomas played for the Dolphins.

Thomas played for the Buffalo Bills from 1988 to 1999. Selected out of Oklahoma State in the second round of the 1988 NFL Draft, Thomas had five straight Pro Bowl seasons with the Bills from 1989 to 1993 and registered eight straight seasons with 1,000 rushing yards or more.

Thomas had his best season in 1991 when he rushed 288 times for 1,407 yards and seven touchdowns. He also led the NFL in yards per attempt at 4.9. In addition, he caught 62 passes out of the backfield for 631 yards and five touchdowns, helping him earn NFL MVP honors.

Thomas helped guide the Bills to four straight Super Bowl appearances — all of which were famously losses. In Super Bowl 26, he missed the first two offensive plays of the game because he couldn’t find his helmet. In his 12 seasons with the Bills, Thomas racked up 11,938 rushing yards, good enough for No. 1 on the franchise’s all-time list. His 65 rushing touchdowns are also the most in team history.

After the Bills released him, Thomas signed with the Dolphins in 2000. He played just one year in Miami, rushing 28 times for 136 yards in nine games.

2 Cris Carter

Cris Carter ended his Hall of Fame career by playing in five games with the Dolphins

Cris Carter began his Hall of Fame career with the Philadelphia Eagles but made his mark with the Minnesota Vikings.

The wide receiver out of Ohio State was selected by the Eagles in the 1987 Supplemental Draft. He played three seasons in Philly and never had more than 45 catches in a season, although he finished with 11 touchdown receptions in 1989.

The Eagles cut Carter during the 1990 preseason, and the Vikings claimed him off waivers. He spent 12 seasons in Minnesota and earned eight straight Pro Bowl selections between 1993 and 2000. He was also named a First-Team All-Pro in 1994 and 1999.

Carter led the NFL in touchdown receptions in 1995, 1997, and 1999, posting a career-high 17 in ’95. He also led the NFL in receptions in 1994 with 122. He remains Minnesota’s all-time receiving leader with 12,383 yards, and his 110 touchdown catches are also a franchise best.

The Dolphins signed Carter in October 2002. He played just five games for Miami to close out his career and recorded eight catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.

3 Ron Jaworski

Ron Jaworski played two seasons with the Dolphins and threw just 14 passes

Ron Jaworski guided the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl berth during his 10 years with the team. It’s likely many NFL fans don’t remember him beginning his 15-year career as an NFL quarterback with the Los Angeles Rams in 1974, and it’s probably more unlikely that many remember Jaworski suiting up for the Dolphins in 1988.

Jaworski was a second-round draft pick by the Rams in 1973 and spent the first three seasons of his professional football career with the franchise. During that stretch, he started three games and went 3-0. The Rams then traded Jaworski to Philadelphia, where he made a home for a decade.

Jaworski’s best season came in 1980 when he led the Eagles to a 12-4 record and a berth in Super Bowl 15, where they lost to the Oakland Raiders by a score of 27-10. During the regular season, Jaworski threw for a career-high 3,529 yards and a career-best 27 touchdown passes. He finished third in the MVP race.

In 1987, the Dolphins signed Jaworski to back up Dan Marino. He saw no action with the team that season, but he completed nine of 14 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown in 1988. That was the extent of his time in Miami.

Jaworski closed his NFL career by starting three games for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1989.

4 Larry Johnson

Larry Johnson had one carry with the Dolphins during his short stint in Miami

Larry Johnson had plenty of promise as a running back coming out of Penn State. The Kansas City Chiefs selected him with the 27th overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft, and he earned Pro Bowl honors three years later.

After appearing in just six games as a rookie in 2003, Johnson rushed for 581 yards and nine touchdowns the following season.

Johnson became the focal point of the Kansas City ground game in 2005. Although he started just nine of 16 games, he rushed 336 times for 1,750 yards and 20 touchdowns, earning the first of his two straight Pro Bowl selections. He was also named a Second-Team All-Pro.

In 2006, Johnson earned First-Team All-Pro honors after leading the NFL with 416 carries and racking up a career-high 1,789 rushing yards, adding 17 touchdown runs. He also caught 41 passes for 410 yards and two scores.

Johnson spent seven seasons with the Chiefs and rushed for 6,015 yards and 55 touchdowns. He’s third on the Chiefs’ all-time rushing list.

Johnson played sparingly with the Cincinnati Bengals and the team now known as the Washington Commanders before ending his career in 2011 with the Dolphins. Johnson played just one game for Miami and recorded one single carry for two yards.

5 Daunte Culpepper

The Dolphins made the wrong decision by trading for Daunte Culpepper

The Miami Dolphins’ mistake was the New Orleans Saints’ gain.

In 2006, the QB-needy Dolphins debated on whether to go after Daunte Culpepper or Drew Brees. Both quarterbacks were seeking new homes, but Brees was coming off a shoulder injury after playing five seasons with the San Diego Chargers.

The Dolphins traded for Culpepper, leaving Brees to sign with the Saints. Brees played 15 years with the Saints, making the Pro Bowl 12 times. Culpepper didn’t even play 15 games for the Dolphins.

In 2004, Culpepper put together his best NFL season by throwing for a league-best 4,717 yards and adding 39 touchdown passes for the Minnesota Vikings. He ultimately spent seven years with the Vikings, earning Pro Bowl honors three times.

Culpepper battled a knee injury during his lone season with the Dolphins, and in November 2006, he underwent surgery, thus ending his season. He went 1-3 in his four career starts with the Dolphins before ending his career with short stints for the Oakland Raiders and Detroit Lions.

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise.

Related

Ranking the Top 5 Miami Dolphins Quarterbacks of All Time

When it comes to the best quarterbacks in Miami Dolphins history, the field gets a little thin after Dan Marino and Bob Griese.