The Miami Dolphins are on the verge of finalizing their 53-man roster for the 2026 regular season. It will mark the first 53-man roster for new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan; however, with teams also cutting a large number of players, it would not be surprising for Miami to make additional moves in the coming days.
Among the many tough decisions the Dolphins are having to make, perhaps one of the most surprising has been releasing a player who started 16 games for Miami last season and put together the best season of his career.
The Ringer's Tom Pelissero posted on X: "The Dolphins are releasing veteran LB Tyrel Dodson, per source.
Miami extended Jordyn Brooks this summer and is excited about second-round pick Jacob Rodriguez's development."
Regarding the move, ESPN's Marcel-Louis Jacques posted on X : "Simply put, it's Jacob Rodriguez's time in Miami. The second-round pick missed some time last week with an injury but has otherwise been a standout in training camp
Dolphins were very excited to get him when they did in the draft, with Jon-Eric Sullivan calling him "a future green dot guy" on draft night"
Last season, Dodson totaled a career-high 129 combined tackles and five sacks. However, he was not graded highly by Pro Football Focus, ranking Dodson 59th out of 88 qualified linebackers. The Dolphins linebacker particularly struggled in pass coverage, earning a 45.4 grade.
The veteran linebacker was a midseason acquisition in 2024, where he impressed in the final eight games of the season and earned his two-year contract. Unfortunately, despite his career-best numbers, the Dolphins opted to go cheaper and younger at the position. Entering the 2026 season, Dodson had totaled over $12.5 million in career earnings. He was set to make $3 million with the Dolphins in 2026.
While Dodson appeared to be liked by the previous front office and coaching staff, this new regime opted to go with this year's second-round pick Jacob Rodriguez as the starting linebacker next to All-Pro Jordyn Brooks.
The Miami Herald's Omar Kelly did not appear to be a fan of the move, as he posted on X : "Saw this coming a mile away. This is a cold business. Tyrel Dodson deserved better."
Kelly previously discussed the possibility of Dodson being released, alongside veteran linebacker Willie Gay. Kelly wrote: "Veterans are often pushed out for youngsters, especially when a new regime arrives, and that's a possibility for both of these seven-year veterans.
Here is the dirty, underbelly of the NFL that few talk about publicly. If a vested veteran – a player with four or more years of NFL experience – is on the active, or inactive roster for the first game of the season their entire contract becomes guaranteed.
Any vested veteran signed after week one is paid week to week, which provides an organization some roster flexibility.The Dolphins admittedly plan to churn the bottom of the roster all season, working to improve the team's talent base by claiming players off the waiver wire, and poaching practice squad players from other teams, so having that kind of flexibility is beneficial. If released, Dodson and Gay could find work elsewhere, joining another franchise that has linebacker needs, and are willing to make that financial commitment to both veterans."
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