The Dolphins may have tipped their hand on Jordyn Brooks, and they did it with a trading card.
Miami’s offseason has been about figuring out which players fit the new regime’s long-term plan, and Brooks has been one of the biggest names hanging in the balance. Center Aaron Brewer, running back De’Von Achane and Brooks were all set to see their contracts expire, and while two of those situations have already been settled with extensions, Brooks has remained the question mark.
That’s why the team’s training camp giveaway list turned heads. On August 8, when the Dolphins hold their one practice at Hard Rock Stadium, Brooks is scheduled to be one of the featured giveaways. It’s a small thing on the surface, but in the middle of all the uncertainty around his future, it reads like a pretty loud message.
The Dolphins are also giving away a trading card of Achane, which makes perfect sense because he already signed his extension earlier this offseason. That’s the easy part.
Brooks is different. He’s a fan favorite, and putting him front and center for a camp promotion would be a strange move if the team were planning to deal him before the season.
At the very least, this feels like a sign that Brooks is not going anywhere before the season begins. It could all be a simple oversight, sure, but it’s hard not to read it as a vote of confidence. If Miami wanted to use camp giveaways to spotlight players with uncertain futures, Brooks would be an odd choice.
The extension question is a little messier. Brooks is heading toward his age-29 season in October, and the market for linebackers has already been set by a couple of summer deals. Nakobe Dean signed for three years and $36 million, while Quay Walker landed a three-year, $40 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders in the offseason.
That raises the obvious question: would Miami be willing to go into the $12-15 million per year range for Brooks, especially after drafting Jacob Rodriguez in the second round?
Maybe. But the current Dolphins front office has also shown a clear tendency to let players who are due for a third contract find that money elsewhere. That’s part of the backdrop here, and it’s why Brooks’ situation has stayed so interesting.
Still, Brooks has been more than just a placeholder. He posted 3.5 sacks and 99 tackles last season, and he’s become a top-level player since the Seahawks took him in the first round of the 2020 draft. He also signed in free agency before the 2024 season, which only adds another layer to the decision Miami has in front of it.
So the giveaway may not settle anything. It might mean Brooks is staying.
It might mean the team simply chose a recognizable face for training camp. But if the Dolphins were looking to send a signal, this one is hard to miss.
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Jacob Rodriguez May Be Forcing A Dolphins Decision Already
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Rodriguez has also fit quickly into the building, praising the teams facilities and the overall care Miami provides while he and the rest of the rookie class grind through their early work ahead of training camp. The bigger question now is how soon his presence starts to affect the depth chart, because when a rookie linebacker is already drawing attention in practice, the veterans around him can feel the pressure even before the pads come on. [Read more 🡒]