Cornerback Kader Kohou has cleared a major hurdle to get back onto the field in 2026, but the question remains what team will employ him.
After starting 38 games for the Dolphins from 2022-24, Kohou missed the entire 2025 season because of a torn ACL he sustained very early in training camp, but word came Monday from NFL Network's Tom Pelissero from agents David Canter and Ness Mugrabi that Kohou had been physically cleared.
This is big news for Kohou, who is set to hit free agency next week.
A success story as an undrafted rookie free agent, Kohou was hoping for a big 2025 entering his contract year, but instead had to spend the season on IR.
So the question is what kind of market there would be for Kohou, who was an ascending player before he was injured but is fresh off a major injury.
The situation is a bit similar to what happened with defensive back Nik Needham in the spring of 2023 when he was coming off an Achilles tear he sustained against the Minnesota Vikings during his contract year of 2022.
Needham wound up re-signing with the Dolphins, but his recovery had some complications and he's played only 13 games with no starts over the past three seasons and has spent time with the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns .
Kohou getting cleared would suggest he's further along in his recovery, which makes sense because Needham was injured in October 2022, and Kohou has had more success in his career to this point than Needham had back then.
So it might not so simple for the Dolphins to re-sign Kohou because there could be a market for him that wasn't there for Needham. And the Dolphins simply don't have the cap space to get into bidding wars for any free agents, if we're going to be honest about it.
With a whole new regime in place, with new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley along with very few remaining assistants, the familiarity factor doesn't come into play as much now as it did for Needham, either.
The bottom line is the Dolphins need cornerbacks and if Kohou is healthy again, they absolutely should look to bring him back -provided the cost is reasonable.
The team's only cornerbacks under contract for 2026 are Storm Duck , JuJu Brents , Jason Maitre, Isaiah Johnson, Jason Marshall Jr. and Ethan Robinson.
Only Marshall and Robinson made it through last season without a major injury, and Robinson didn't take any snaps on defense.
Kohou missed all of last season with an ACL injury, but he was a pretty consistent starter for the previous three seasons. Additionally, Kohou has inside and outside versatility.
That is always valuable, but for a Dolphins team with massive holes at cornerback and safety, keeping a player who can line up in the slot and on the outside reliably is even more important.
Lastly, Kohou seems like a good cultural fit for the type of defense new head coach Jeff Hafley wants to build. Kohou worked his way into a starting role after starting his career as a UDFA.
He's also an incredibly physical player who loves to tackle and defend the run. That's the type of corner Hafley should want for a tough, physical team.
Kohou is a low-risk, high-reward signing for a team that needs bodies at that position. He's a younger player (27), so Kohou could be a long-term option for the Dolphins.
The only reasons not to try to re-sign Kohou would be concern about his knee, though that should be alleviated by the health report, along with having to pay him more than the Dolphins can afford.
Besides those issues, the only other reason worth discussing is that Hafley might not view Kohou as a scheme fit. Sometimes, coaches like to bring in their own players.
Nickel is an important position in Hafley's defense, and it's a solid reason why the Green Bay Packers gave free agent Nate Hobbs a decent contract last offseason.
The Dolphins have a dedicated "nickels" coach in DeShawn Shead, who is returning from the last staff. That might be a good sign for Kohou since Shead is at least familiar with him.
If you couldn't tell, we think it's smart to bring Kohou back. If he's willing to play on a prove-it, one-year deal, and his injury is healing well, then he's the perfect depth piece to add to a room that needs it.
Jack Jones and Rasul Douglas are set to be free agents , and their situations are a little more complicated because of the potential money involved.
Miami doesn't want to spend much in free agency, wants to invest in younger talent, and wants to have players who play physically with a lot of effort.
That's Kohou through and through. If Hafley is willing to give Kohou a chance and the cornerback is healthy, it makes plenty of sense to bring him back.
The news Monday only reinforced that.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/dolphins/onsi as What Kohou Getting Cleared Could Mean for his Dolphins Future .
