The Dolphins have made their choice at linebacker, and it could send Tyrel Dodson out the door.
Miami locked up Jordyn Brooks on Tuesday with a three-year extension worth $51.3 million, including $35 million guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. After Brooks followed up his first-team All-Pro season by staying in the fold, the Dolphins have now clearly identified him as one of the pieces they want to build around.
That decision matters because it tightens the squeeze on Dodson, who suddenly looks like one of the most obvious trade candidates on the roster. He’s entering a contract year, he played well for Miami, and he still has enough value to bring back a decent return. But with Brooks entrenched and a wave of younger linebackers arriving, the path forward for Dodson in Miami is getting crowded fast.
New GM Jon-Eric Sullivan has already spent the offseason reshaping the roster, moving on from a lot of veterans by trade or release and declining to keep many of the team’s own free agents. He’s also been aggressive in identifying his core. Brooks now joins De’Von Achane, who signed a four-year, $64 million deal, and center Aaron Brewer, who got a three-year, $52.5 million extension, as the latest players Sullivan has chosen to keep around.
The linebacker room, though, is where the ripple effect is most obvious. Sullivan drafted Jacob Rodriguez in the second round and Kyle Louis in the fourth, and Ronnie Harrison Jr. and Willie Gay are also in the mix.
That’s a lot of bodies for one position group, and Rodriguez’s profile makes the picture even more complicated for Dodson. He was a second-round pick and finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting, which gives him the look of a rookie who could be hard to keep off the field.
None of that should erase what Dodson did last season. He put together a strong year of his own with 129 combined tackles, five sacks, three pass deflections, and an interception. He was productive, reliable, and, in many ways, overlooked while Brooks drew the bigger headlines.
Still, the numbers and the roster math point in the same direction. Miami has committed to Brooks, brought in reinforcements, and left Dodson in a vulnerable spot. The smart move now is to listen if another team comes calling.
Brooks’ extension may have settled one question for the Dolphins. It may have opened the door to another one being answered very soon.
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