Dolphins LB Jordyn Brooks Seeking Raise
Jordyn Brooks has been a highly productive starter during his two years with the Dolphins. The veteran linebacker remains under contract for one more year, and he is among the players Miami is interested in extending.
If Brooks is to work out a new Dolphins agreement, a bump in pay could be in store. Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald writes the 28-year-old is seeking a raise in the event an extension is signed. Brooks is currently set to collect $8.38MM in 2026, the final year of his 2024 free agent pact.
While playing out his rookie contract with the Seahawks, Brooks was a regular presence on defense and filled the statsheet. The former first-rounder was among many in his position to have his fifth-year option declined, however, leading to a departure on the open market. Brooks joined the Dolphins and has served as an every-down player since. He earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2025 after leading the NFL in tackles (183) while adding 3.5 sacks.
Brooks drew trade interest from the Dolphins this offseason, but no swap was worked out. Miami has not been shy with respect to moving on from veterans under new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. A short list of players remain in the team’s plans, though, and Brooks is on it. Sullivan indicated last month extension talks have taken place with Brooks, but nothing is imminent at this time.
22 inside linebackers are currently attached to an average annual value higher than Brooks. That includes 19 earning an average of $10MM or more per year, a figure the Texas Tech product could aim to surpass on his third career contract. Finances are of course tight right now for the Dolphins with the team carrying a dead money figure of $179MM, but any extension would lower his immediate cap charge and accommodating a Brooks raise in 2027 could be feasible.
Miami’s 14-man draft class includes linebackers Jacob Rodriguez and Kyle Louis. Those two are in position to compete for a defensive role, although veteran Tyrel Dodson joins Brooks as a holdover from 2025. It will be interesting to see if the latter has a new deal in place by Week 1 or if he enters 2026 as a pending free agent.
Dolphins RB De’Von Achane ‘Not Available For Trade’
Trade speculation has followed De’Von Achane since the 2025 deadline, but Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said on Wednesday (via NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe) that the Pro Bowl running back is “not available for trade.”
Instead, Miami is working on a long-term extension for Achane, something he expressed interest in before the end of last season. Sullivan said that negotiations thus far have been “positive” and “trending in the right direction.”
The Dolphins have remained steadfast in their position regarding Achane, though there were similar reports about Waddle before he was traded to the Broncos. The 24-year-old running back has emerged as one of the most dynamic offensive weapons in the league with almost 1,500 scrimmage yards in 2024 and more than 1,800 last season. A team bringing in a relatively inexperienced starter in Malik Willis may find even more valuable in an explosive running back who can generate yards on the ground and through the air on both designed touches and checkdowns.
Running back pay has ticked up in the last two years, though only three players – Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, and Derrick Henry – have deals with a $15MM per year or more. Breece Hall was hit with a $14.29MM franchise tag, and Kenneth Walker‘s multi-year deal with the Chiefs is worth $14.35MM per year. Achane’s age and production give him an argument to join the former group. He has been a semi-regular presence on the Dolphins’ weekly injury reports, but he has played all but one game in the last two years without any sign of an injury affecting his on-field play.
One wrinkle with an Achane extension is the timing. His $2.3MM cap hit will go up due to the signing bonus of a new contract, but the Dolphins only have $1.9MM in cap space at the moment, per OverTheCap. Miami will see more than $20MM in savings once Bradley Chubb‘s release is processed on June 1, most of which will be used to sign their rookie class. But they should also have enough space after the draft to accommodate the increased cap hit resulting from an agreement with Achane.
Sullivan also previously signaled his intent to sign center Aaron Brewer and linebacker Jordyn Brooks to long-term deals as pillars of the team’s current rebuild. The team has engaged both players in contract talks, but no deal is imminent.
“They know how important they are to this team,” Sullivan said (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). “There’s nothing pressing to get something done in the next couple of days.”
Similar to the situation with Achane, Brewer’s cap hit would increase with an extension. Brooks’ could decrease, depending on how Miami structures the deal.
Cowboys To Make LB Addition, Interested In Dolphins’ Jordyn Brooks
The Cowboys’ poor linebacker play was a core part of their defensive struggles last season, but the team is hoping a full season from DeMarvion Overshown will lead to marked improvements in 2026.
However, Overshown needs a running mate in the middle of Dallas’ defense. The other linebackers on the roster are Shemar James and Justin Barron, neither of whom profile as starters in what will be their second NFL season.
The Cowboys “made a run” at a few linebackers in free agency, head coach Brian Schottenheimer said this week (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). We heard about pursuits of Devin Lloyd, Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean along with an attempted trade for Patrick Queen. They were not able to land any, leaving them with a sizable void with many of the league’s top free agents already signed.
“We recognize that we need to fill some holes there,” Schottenheimer added. Executive vice president Stephen Jones concurred.
“The plan is to add skill at that position,” Jones said, “whether it’s the draft, whether it’s free agency, whether it’s a trade, or a combination of all of the above, we’ll look at all avenues.”
The Cowboys could certainly find a starting-caliber linebacker in a strong draft class, especially with an extra first-round pick from the Micah Parsons trade. Veterans like Bobby Okereke, Bobby Wagner, and Devin White are still available in free agency.
Dallas is also among the teams with interest in Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks, per Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald. No other suitors are known for the 28-year-old, who is entering the final year of his contract.
Miami is interested in signing Brooks to an extension, which would position him as the long-term leader of their defense. However, the rebuilding team — which recently unloaded Jaylen Waddle in a blockbuster trade — could try to sell high after his first-team All-Pro selection last year, to a team that has a clear need at the position.
Dolphins Restructure Jordyn Brooks’ Deal
In advance of the trade deadline, the Dolphins have freed up some 2025 cap space. Linebacker Jordyn Brooks‘ deal has been restructured, per ESPN’s Field Yates.
This is a simple restructure, with part of Brooks’ $7.82MM base salary for the season being converted into a signing bonus. The move has created $3MM in cap space. Miami entered Thursday near the bottom of the league with $4.9MM in available funds.
As the trade deadline approaches, teams expecting to operate as buyers are generally the ones which carve out immediate cap space to absorb incoming contracts. Sitting at 1-6 on the year, though, the Dolphins are certainly not seen as a candidate to make a notable addition over the coming days. On the contrary, Miami is viewed as a seller and several notable players have drawn interest.
Brooks is not among them, and today’s move if obviously a sign he will remain in the fold moving forward. The former first-rounder easily topped 100 tackles during his final three seasons with the Seahawks before signing with Miami during his first trip to free agency in 2024. Brooks took a three-year pact averaging $8.75MM per season upon joining the Dolphins.
The 28-year-old totaled 143 tackles and three sacks during his debut Miami campaign. He has continued to operate as a full-time starter this season, and that will no doubt remain the case moving forward. Brooks is under contract through 2026. He is in line to stay in place with the Dolphins at a time when other members of the team’s defense could be on the move shortly. It will also be interesting to see how the team proceeds over the coming days with additional cap room.
Free Agency Notes: Giants, Vikings, Jets, Hawks, Huff, Commanders, Ekeler, Raiders, Dolphins, Jacobs, Rams
The Bryce Huff market did not reach the level of Jonathan Greenard‘s, and Danielle Hunter also scored a better guarantee compared to the Jets‘ contract-year breakout pass rusher. But the Eagles needed to give Huff a three-year, $51.1MM deal with $34MM guaranteed. That came about because, per Huff, the Commanders, Giants, Seahawks and Vikings joined the Jets in pursuing him. The Jets had expressed interest in keeping the former UDFA, who led the team in sacks last season, but their 2023 Will McDonald draft choice appeared to point Huff elsewhere.
Minnesota came in early with its Greenard signing (four years, $76MM, $38MM fully guaranteed), while Washington turned to one of Dan Quinn‘s ex-Cowboys charges — Dorance Armstrong — soon after. The Giants made a bigger splash hours later by trading for Brian Burns, in a deal that involved a second-rounder going to the Panthers and fifth-rounders being swapped, while the Seahawks devoted their funding to fortifying their interior D-line (via the Leonard Williams deal). Huff, 26, led the NFL in pressure rate last season but was not used as a full-time D-end. It should be expected the Eagles, who have Haason Reddick in trade rumors, will up Huff’s usage.
Here is the latest free agency fallout:
- As Lloyd Cushenberry and Andre James scored nice contracts, the center market has not seen Connor Williams come off the board. It should be a while on that front. Rehabbing an ACL tear, Williams is not expected to sign anywhere anytime soon, agent Drew Rosenahus said during a WSVP interview (via the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson). Williams going down in Week 14 certainly has impacted his market. Pro Football Focus graded the two-year Dolphins blocker as a top-five center in each of his two Miami seasons. Ahead of his age-27 season, the ex-Cowboys draftee will probably need to show teams he is healthy or on track to full strength before a deal commences.
- The Raiders lost their starting running back in free agency, seeing Josh Jacobs join the Packers. Zamir White is tentatively in place as Las Vegas’ starter, but the now-Tom Telesco-run club did show interest in Austin Ekeler, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets. Telesco was with the Chargers when they signed Ekeler as a UDFA and when they extended him, but the GM did not greenlight a second extension last year. That led to trade rumors and a small incentive package. Ekeler signed a two-year, $8.43MM Commanders deal, indicating (via the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala) the NFC East team showed the most interest. Despite leading the NFL in TDs in 2021 and 2022, Ekeler received only $4.2MM fully guaranteed — ninth among FA backs this year.
- As for Jacobs, his guarantee fell well short of Saquon Barkley‘s and shy of the Bears’ commitment to D’Andre Swift. The Packers signed Jacobs to a four-year, $48MM deal, but Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes only the $12.5MM signing bonus is guaranteed (plus a $1.2MM 2024 salary). Beyond 2024, this is a pay-as-you-go deal. Jacobs is due a $5.93MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2025 league year, creating a pivotal date for Green Bay’s backfield. The Packers are known for shying away from guarantees beyond Year 1, in most instances, but it is interesting to see the gap between guarantees Barkley could secure ($26MM) and Jacobs’ locked-in money.
- The gap between Xavier McKinney‘s Packers deal and the Rams‘ two-year Kamren Curl pact ended up wider than the aforementioned RBs. Curl agreed to a $9MM accord, per the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala. Curl, 25, has two seasons to show he can command a more lucrative contract. But McKinney (four years, $68MM) showed how valuable an age-25 offseason can be for earning power, making the Curl contract look quite Rams-friendly.
- Jonnu Smith‘s two-year Dolphins deal came in at $8.4MM, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Miami will guarantee the former Tennessee, New England and Atlanta tight end $3.96MM. No guarantees are present beyond 2024, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. Miami’s three-year Jordyn Brooks accord lands slightly lower than initially reported, with Wilson adding the ex-Seattle linebacker signed for $26.25MM. Brooks’ contract features $16MM guaranteed; just $9.5MM of that sum is guaranteed at signing.
Dolphins To Sign LB Jordyn Brooks
Jordyn Brooks is heading to Miami. The former Seahawks linebacker is signing with the Dolphins, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Brooks is signing a three-year deal worth $30MM.
After an ACL tear late in the 2022 season, Brooks returned by Week 1 and managed to start 16 games for Seattle last season. Back alongside Bobby Wagner last year, he added 4.5 sacks — more than his 2020-22 season totals combined.
That performance set Brooks up for a nice pay day. Among the four linebackers to see his fifth-year option declined in 2023, Brooks was the most productive of the bunch, with 184- and 161-tackle seasons under his belt. The Texas Tech proved that he was nearly back to his previous playing level following the 2022 injury, and the Dolphins will surely be counting on big things from the LB in 2024.
David Long Jr. is expected to anchor the linebackers corps in 2024, but the Dolphins suddenly had major holes elsewhere on the depth chart. With Andrew Van Ginkel heading to the Vikings and Jerome Baker having been released, the Dolphins were actively in the market for some reinforcement at the position.
The team added Anthony Walker earlier today, providing one dependable player at the position. Brooks will provide the Dolphins with even more options at linebacker, with the organization having completely revamped their depth in only a few hours.
The Seahawks will now have a significant hole to fill at inside linebacker with Brooks gone. Bobby Wagner is also a free agent, meaning the team could be eyeing a completely new grouping in 2024.
Latest On Seahawks LBs Jordyn Brooks, Bobby Wagner
The linebacker spot could see plenty of upheaval this offseason in Seattle. Jordyn Brooks, Bobby Wagner and Devin Bush are each pending free agents, and their chances of being retained vary.
[RELATED: Seahawks Moving Toward Retaining Geno Smith?]
Brooks, 26, is set to see his rookie contract expire since the Seahawks declined his fifth-year option last spring. That move fell in line with those made by other teams in the same position, but it set up the 2023 season as a platform campaign. Brooks delivered another impactful season (111 tackles, a pick-six and a career-high 4.5 sacks). He could soon parlay his production into a new deal.
Michael Shawn-Dugar of The Athletic notes that Brooks wants to re-sign with the Seahawks (subscription required). He adds that the Texas Tech product is a key free agent priority for Seattle and is the likeliest of the LB trio to be retained. Brooks has been a mainstay on defense since becoming a starter, and he led the NFL in solo tackles in 2021. An ACL tear ended his 2022 campaign, but he managed to recover in time for the start of this past season.
Brooks’ play saw an uptick with the return of Wagner following his one-and-done Rams campaign. The latter’s Seattle departure, Shawn-Dugar notes, was driven more by general manager John Schneider than head coach Pete Carroll. With Carroll having shifted to an advisory role, Schneider now has full roster control. Shawn-Dugar thus describes another deal with Wagner as “unlikely.”
The 33-year-old added to his considerable accolades in 2023, earning second-team All-Pro honors and receiving a Pro Bowl invite. He is committed to playing next season, but the Seahawks have a number of decisions to make at the LB position among others. A new deal for defensive lineman Leonard Williams could soon be on the table, and Seattle will be looking to improve its front seven after continuing to struggle against the run.
Wagner led the league in tackles last season, so he would likely be a productive contributor for the Seahawks or another interested team. Seattle is currently slated to be $5.2MM over the cap, though, and teams rarely make lucrative commitments to more than one inside linebacker at a time. If Brooks is indeed seen as a higher priority, then, Wagner could once again find himself on the move in free agency.
Seahawks Waive Frank Clark, Place S Jamal Adams, WR Dee Eskridge On IR
After a short reunion in Seattle, the Seahawks have opted to part ways with veteran pass rusher Frank Clark, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The former three-time Pro Bowler will hit the waiver wire and potentially be available to sign for a playoff run. Additionally, the team will spend the remainder of the season without safety Jamal Adams and wide receiver Dee Eskridge, announcing that both players have been placed on injured reserve. 
The Seahawks drafted Clark back in the 2015 second round and franchise-tagged him four years later, but the team executed a tag-and-trade transaction to send the former Michael Bennett–Cliff Avril sidekick to the Chiefs. While the Chiefs were viewed as perhaps the lead candidate to sign Clark, the recent Bronco found his way back to the Pacific Northwest. Injuries and poor fit led to his departure from Denver, so established fits like Seattle and Kansas City were really the best options for Clark.
Adams has missed the team’s last two games with a knee injury, and he will now miss their final two games of the season, as well. Despite Adams’ return to practice this week, head coach Pete Carroll made the call, determining that Adams was not doing well enough to play. This continues a troubling trend as Adams has not played a full, healthy season since joining the Seahawks three years ago. After missing almost all of the 2022 season, Adams will now have missed eight more games in 2023.
With continuing large cap hits over the next two seasons, there’s been plenty of speculation that Adams’ injury issues could lead to him becoming a salary cap casualty. Even if Seattle opts not to take that route, Adams himself considered calling it quits after last year’s season-ending quadriceps injury. More injury trouble this year may push Adams even closer to retirement. Regardless, this may have been the last season that we see Adams in navy and green.
Eskridge will now see a stint on IR for the third straight year to start his career. It’s safe to say that the Seahawks have not quite seen the return on investment out of their former second-round pick. Including a six-game suspension to start his 2023 campaign, Eskridge will have missed 27 of a possible 51 games since being drafted in 2021. He failed to catch his lone target of this year and only has 17 catches for 122 yards and a touchdown in his career.
In order to fill the three newly vacated roster spots, the Seahawks have signed linebacker Patrick O’Connell, safety Ty Okada, and offensive tackle Jake Curhan to the active roster from the practice squad. With linebacker Jordyn Brooks ruled out for this week’s matchup, O’Connell should provide some added depth at the position. Additionally, Seattle announced that nose tackle Austin Faoliu and cornerback Kelvin Joseph will join the above three as standard gameday elevations from the practice squad this weekend.
Seahawks Activate LB Jordyn Brooks From Active/PUP List
Jordyn Brooks suffered an ACL tear during the Seahawks’ Week 17 game last season, making him a candidate to start the season on the reserve/PUP list. That is no longer an option for Brooks, who passed his physical Tuesday.
The Seahawks moved the fourth-year linebacker off their active/PUP list. A Brooks return to practice makes him ineligible for a reserve/PUP designation — a move that would have shelved him for the season’s first four games — and increases the chances he will be in uniform come Week 1.
While the Seahawks might slow-play Brooks’ return to regular practice work, Tuesday’s development is obviously a good sign for the contract-year defender. Brooks, 25, has been a three-down performer for the Seahawks for the past two seasons, moving into the lineup alongside Bobby Wagner in 2021 and anchoring the position group after Wagner became a March 2022 cap casualty. Wagner is now back in Seattle, and a Brooks return would give the Seahawks a solid outlook at the position.
In addition to bringing back Wagner, the Seahawks added ex-Steelers first-rounder Devin Bush in free agency. That move came after Cody Barton left for Washington. Wagner is back ahead of an age-33 season, and Bush is looking to re-establish his value after the Steelers let him walk in free agency.
Hurting the Seahawks’ chances in their playoff matchup against the 49ers, the knee injury Brooks suffered on New Year’s Day also put the former No. 27 overall pick on shaky ground regarding his fifth-year option. The Seahawks joined the other teams who made linebacker picks in 2020 — the Cardinals, Ravens and Chargers — in passing. Declining Brooks’ $12.7MM option, the Seahawks made 2023 a contract year for their top tackler. Brooks has only missed one regular-season game since his full-fledged lineup entrance. He led the NFL in solo tackles in 2021 (109) and registered 103 solo stops last season. In that span, Brooks tallied 345 total tackles. Only Foye Oluokun (376) has totaled more over the past two seasons.
Pete Carroll said in May the option decision does not mean the team plans to move on from Brooks after this season, but the Texas Tech alum has a clear opportunity in front of him. Returning to form would put Brooks in solid position for a nice second contract — from either the Seahawks or another team.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/26/23
Today’s minor transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on PUP: TE Zach Ertz, QB Kyler Murray, LB BJ Ojulari
- Placed on NFI: CB Garrett Williams
- Waived: TE Chris Pierce
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on NFI: DB Trayvon Mullen
- Waived: OT Brandon Kipper
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Javon Wims
- Waived: WR Marquez Stevenson
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OL Aviante Collins
- Waived: OL Lorenz Metz
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Cody Chrest
- Placed on NFI: OT Caleb Jones
- Waived/injured: WR Jeff Cotton
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on PUP: LB Dawuane Smoot
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on NFI: DT Neil Farrell
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from PUP: WR Pokey Wilson
- Placed on PUP: WR Jalen Guyton, DL Austin Johnson, DT Otito Ogbonnia
Los Angeles Rams
- Claimed off waivers (from Bears): LB Sterling Weatherford
- Placed on PUP: TE Hunter Long, OT Warren McClendon
New York Giants
- Signed: DT Kevin Atkins
- Reverted to IR: LB Elerson Smith
New York Jets
- Activated from PUP: TE C.J. Uzomah
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Deon Cain
- Placed on NFI: WR Devon Allen
- Released: TE Dalton Keene
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LB Kyahva Tezino
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DB Chris Steele
- Placed on PUP: S Jamal Adams, LB Jordyn Brooks, TE Noah Fant, NT Austin Faoliu, NT Bryan Mone, CB Tariq Woolen
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DB A.J. Moore
- Waived: DT Curtis Brooks
Among the additions on today’s list, defensive back A.J. Moore is the most notable. The defensive back spent four years with the Texans to begin his career, compiling 69 tackles in 55 games while primarily playing on special teams. The 27-year-old spent a chunk of last season on the Titans practice squad, and he ultimately got into one game with the big-league club.