The Miami Dolphins announced today their team award winners for the 2024 regular season. Defensive tackle Zach Sieler was voted the Dan Marino Most Valuable Player, defensive tackle Calais Campbell earned the Don Shula Leadership Award, linebacker Jaelan Phillips was named the team's Ed Block Courage Award winner and tackle Terron Armstead was honored with the Nat Moore Community Service Award.
Sieler is the Dan Marino Most Valuable Player, an award voted on by South Florida media who regularly cover the team. The award was renamed the Dan Marino Most Valuable Player Award in 2000 to reflect the achievements of the Hall of Fame quarterback and 12-time team MVP.
A 2024 team captain, Sieler has led a defensive unit that ranks third across the NFL, while carrying the momentum from his career-best 2023 campaign to the 2024 season, consistently disrupting offensive backfields over the course of the year and delivering game-changing plays in pivotal moments on a weekly basis. The defensive tackle leads Miami in sacks (8.5), tackles for loss (12) and quarterback hits (17), while his 49 tackles (24 solo) are tied for the most among Dolphins defensive linemen. Sieler has also recorded an interception, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and two passes defensed. Through 16 games this season, Sieler's 8.5 sacks are the third-most among interior defensive linemen in the NFL, and he is the only interior defensive lineman in the NFL to record 8.5-plus sacks in each of the last two seasons. Sieler was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career after recording two sacks, three quarterback hits and two tackles for loss against the N.Y. Jets in Miami's 32-26 overtime victory in Week 14.
Sieler is the second defensive tackle to earn the honor (Ndamukong Suh, 2017) and just the fourth defensive lineman overall (Suh, Jason Taylor & Adewale Ogunleye). Sieler becomes the first defensive player since Xavien Howard in 2020 to be named the team's Most Valuable Player and is the second seventh-round selection to win the award (Ryan Fitzpatrick, 2019). Sieler joined the Dolphins after being awarded off waivers on Dec. 5, 2019. He was selected 238th overall in the 2018 NFL Draft by Baltimore after an All-American career at Ferris State University where he joined the team as a walk-on.
Campbell is the 2024 recipient of the Don Shula Leadership Award, which is voted on by the players and given to the teammate who best exhibits leadership on and off the field. The award was renamed the Don Shula Leadership Award in 2005 to reflect the accomplishments and impact of the Hall of Fame coach.
Campbell is the first defensive tackle to earn the award and the first defensive lineman since Cameron Wake in 2017. At 38 years of age, he is the oldest player to receive the award and the eighth to earn the honor in their first season with the team. Campbell was named a team captain for the fifth time in his career after signing with Miami only a month before the start of training camp. He is the recipient of the 2019 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award and earned the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award in 2022.
In his 17th season in the NFL, Campbell has started all 16 games for Miami, recording 49 tackles (33 solo), 4.0 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits, five passes defensed and a forced fumble. On the first defensive play of the 2024 season, Campbell brought down Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence for his first sack of the season. In doing so, Campbell recorded at least one sack for the 16th consecutive season, the third-longest streak in NFL history. Against Indianapolis on Oct. 20, 2024, Campbell became the fourth defensive lineman in NFL history to appear in 250 games.
Phillips is the team's Ed Block Courage Award recipient, which is selected by the Dolphins' athletic training staff and symbolizes professionalism, courage and inspiration, while also serving as a role model in the South Florida community. Phillips, a first-time recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award, previously earned the 2021 Nat Moore Community Service Award and was Miami's Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee in 2022.
Phillips suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 12 of the 2023 season against the N.Y. Jets and immediately set his sights on his journey to return to the field. He rehabbed diligently throughout the offseason, returning to action in the Dolphins' Week 1 matchup against Jacksonville, in which he made an immediate impact with a key late fourth-quarter sack to force a Jaguars punt and set up Miami's game-winning field goal as time expired.
Phillips played in four games for the Dolphins in 2024 before suffering another season-ending injury in Week 4. Despite the adverse situations Phillips has faced in back-to-back seasons, the Dolphins linebacker continues to bring his outstanding and determined efforts to the rehabilitation and recovery process as well as his widespread community service initiatives throughout South Florida and support of the Dolphins Cancer Challenge as a member of the executive board.
Armstead is the winner of the Nat Moore Community Service Award, given annually to a Miami Dolphins player recognized for his exemplary commitment to serving the South Florida community. This award was named after former Dolphins player and Ring of Honor member Nat Moore in 1987, who spent 13 seasons in a Dolphins uniform and made an equally profound impact off the field, which he continues to this day as a senior vice president for the team.
Since joining the Dolphins in 2022, Armstead has been a leader for the organization on and off the field. Armstead has embedded himself in the community, dedicating his time, energy and resources to the youth around South Florida. Armstead has hosted and been involved with numerous community events throughout the 2024 season by way of his Team Armstead Foundation. In August, Armstead hosted a back-to-school giveaway for 120 local youth, providing meals and new backpacks to ensure each student had the necessary materials for the start of the school year. Leading up to Thanksgiving, Armstead provided a shopping spree for 50 local youth from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County. In December, he launched the Team Armstead Foundation's "I Am A Business Program" in collaboration with 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project. Armstead created a curriculum and mentored students in financial literacy, soft skills and entrepreneurial skills while providing tablets and financial resources to aid business idea development. He then collaborated with teammates to provide 100 kids from Big Brothers and Big Sisters, S.E.E.K Foundation the opportunity for a shopping spree for the holidays. Armstead later participated in the Miami Dolphins annual Holiday Toy Event presented by the Morgan Law Group, spending time with and provided gifts to more than 160 local families in need of support during the holidays.
