The Miami Dolphins are in full rebuilding mode, and their changes this offseason reflect just that. Much of the core that has made the Dolphins relevant over the last few seasons, including Mike McDaniel, Tua Tagovailoa, and Jaylen Waddle, are gone and have been replaced by younger replacements with an eye to the future.
However, the Dolphins aren’t getting rid of all of their stars. On Wednesday, Miami signed star running back De’Von Achane to a four-year, $68 million contract extension that will keep him with the team for the foreseeable future.
Shortly after Achane was re-signed, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler highlighted a potential next target for the Dolphins front office if they are going to hand out another extension.
“Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks also is a name to watch,” Fowler wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Like Achane, he’s garnered trade interest but Miami values him. He’s a free agent after 2026.”
Brooks is entering his third season with the Dolphins after starting his career with the Seattle Seahawks, and he has quietly become one of the best off-ball linebackers in football during that time. In 2025, he was names a First Team All-Pro after leading the league with 183 total tackles in 17 games. The former Seahawk also knocked 13 tackles for loss and forced a fumble.
Miami clearly showed that it wants to shift its focus to the defensive side of the ball this offseason. The Dolphins moved on from McDaniel, an offensive mastermind, and instead hired former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as their new head coach. With a rock-solid piece like Brooks in the middle of the defense, Hafley can help a unit that was very bad last year improve in 2026 even with a flawed depth chart.
Brooks is entering the final season of a three-year contract with the Dolphins worth just over $26 million, so it will be interesting to see how Miami handles the situation. The Texas Tech product will be entering his 30s in 2027, so it would make sense for the Dolphins to have some reservations about giving him another long term deal.
The Miami Dolphins are in full rebuilding mode, and their changes this offseason reflect just that. Much of the core that has made the Dolphins relevant over the last few seasons, including Mike McDaniel, Tua Tagovailoa, and Jaylen Waddle, are gone and have been replaced by younger replacements with an eye to the future.