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Zach Sieler

Dolphins Extend DT Zach Sieler

August 4th, 2025 at 11:15am CST by Ely Allen

AUGUST 4: Sieler’s deal is now official, per a team announcement. Full terms have not yet emerged, but agent Drew Rosenhaus said during his weekly appearance on Sports XTRA (video link) this new pact will pay out $34MM across the 2025 and ’26 campaigns. With an upgraded cashflow and long-term security, Seiler will look to remain one of Miami’s top players for years to come.

AUGUST 3: The Dolphins are getting ahead on some future contract situations by giving defensive tackle Zach Sieler the new deal he requested despite him having two years remaining on his original deal. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the two sides have agreed on a three-year, $67.75MM extension with $44MM guaranteed. With the new deal, he becomes the highest-paid player on Miami’s defense.

Sieler’s come a long way since his humble beginnings. Unranked as a high school recruit, Sieler travelled about two hours north to attend college at Ferris State University, where he made the decision to walk on to the football team. After a redshirt year, Sieler helped the Bulldogs win their conference two years in a row in 2014 and 2015. In the latter year, he won the conference’s Defensive Lineman of the Year and National Defensive Player of the Year honors. He repeated those honors in 2016 but opted to sit out the 2017 season, after having earned his degree, to prepare for the 2018 NFL Draft.

Though obviously talented, Sieler was considered a bit of a wildcard after having spent a year away from football. Regardless, he was chosen by the Ravens with the 238th pick of the draft in the seventh round — Ozzie Newsome‘s final pick as the team’s general manager. In an emotional draft day phone call, Newsome informed him of that fact and Sieler told the legendary GM, “I’ll make you proud.”

That pride may not have come right away for Newsome. After appearing in only two games as a rookie, Sieler failed to make Baltimore’s initial 53-man roster in 2019 and ended up on the practice squad. He got signed back to the active roster in October, but the team waived him again two months later.

This time, when he hit the waiver wire, the Dolphins kept him from returning to the Ravens’ practice squad, claiming Sieler the next day. In just three games (including his first career start) to close out the season with Miami, Sieler played more snaps than his entire first year and a half in Baltimore. The Dolphins signed him on for another year and Sieler appeared in every game, starting eight, while tallying 3.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss.

The disruptive lineman was doing so well that season that he earned himself a two-year, $7.63MM extension partway through the season. In those next two years, Sieler would start 24 of 34 game appearances, notching 5.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and 132 tackles as he blossomed into am eventual full-time starter. In that 2021 season, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him as the third-best interior defender in the NFL.

In 2023, the Dolphins quickly extended Sieler for another three years at $30.75MM. With a year still remaining on his prior deal, this new extension would keep him under contract through the 2026 season. After that contract came through, Sieler really turned it on. Starting every game for the first time in his career, Sieler tallied career highs in sacks (10.0) and tackles for loss (22) while adding 63 tackles, four pass deflections, an interception, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries.

Last year, he kept it going. Despite missing two games with injury, Sieler matched his sack total from the prior year while totaling 19 tackles for loss, 55 tackles, two pass deflections, and another interception, forced fumble, and fumble recovery. His 2024 performance had him graded as the 11th-best interior defender in the league, per PFF.

Having totaled double-digit sacks in each of the past two seasons, Sieler made it known that he was interested in a new deal, despite his remaining years. A day after seeing Zach Allen get a four-year, $102MM extension, the Dolphins have followed suit, perhaps realizing that Sieler may just make himself even more expensive with another double-digit sack performance.

It’s safe to say, at this point, that Newsome is probably proud, even if Sieler isn’t on his team anymore. In fact, Schefter points out that Newsome’s final rookie class — including (in draft order) tight end Hayden Hurst, quarterback Lamar Jackson, offensive tackle Orlando Brown, tight end Mark Andrews, cornerback Anthony Averett, safety DeShon Elliott, center Bradley Bozeman, Sieler, undrafted cornerback Darious Williams, and undrafted running back Gus Edwards — has now generated more money in future contracts than any draft class in NFL history.

While Newsome gets to be proud, Sieler deserves every bit of credit for where he ended up. From walking on to a Division II football team to sneaking into the last 19 picks of the NFL draft to making a name for himself with double-digit-sack seasons in Miami, Sieler continues to surpass expectations at every step of his career.

AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Pats, Myers, Bills

July 30th, 2025 at 3:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

Zach Sieler is not holding in at Dolphins practice, but the veteran defensive lineman has let it be known he is seeking a new contract. Tied to a three-year, $30.75MM extension, Sieler has delivered a considerable return for the Dolphins by posting back-to-back 10-sack seasons — for a team decimated at the edge rusher positions.

“I do feel like I want to get,” Sieler said, via the Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly. “I do feel that respect coming. I think I’ve earned it. I know I’ve earned it.”

The interior defender, though, is signed for two more seasons. Dolphins GM Chris Grier has bent on a few occasions to extension-chasing players with more than a year left on their deals. Grier rewarded Xavien Howard, Tyreek Hill and Jalen Ramsey in doing so. The Howard and Ramsey decisions burned the Dolphins, as substantial dead money emerged following their respective exits. Sieler signed his extension shortly before the first of those 10-sack seasons. Set to turn 30 in September and sitting 31st in AAV among interior D-linemen, the former seventh-rounder is looking to capitalize on his performance and cash in while still in his prime.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • The Dolphins brought in Mike Hilton and Jack Jones at cornerback, but they have lost Kader Kohou and Artie Burns for the season. Hilton had spoken with the Dolphins months ago. The former Steelers and Bengals slot corner expected to draw more interest, but he is now 31. He still expected to wind up in Miami, via ESPN.com’s Marcel Louis-Jacques.
  • Hilton arrived after multiple instances of Dolphins-Rasul Douglas negotiations. The Douglas talks would pertain more to Jones, who is an outside CB. Douglas remains in free agency after rejecting a Dolphins offer, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports. Ranked behind veteran corners D.J. Reed, Byron Murphy, Carlton Davis and Charvarius Ward in PFR’s top 50, Douglas has been tied to the Dolphins and Seahawks and, per Anderson, has received more interest lately. It should be expected the soon-to-be 30-year-old DB signs somewhere soon, but his value will not approach the three-year, $21MM Packers deal he inked in 2022.
  • The Dolphins signed James Daniels after an Achilles tear, and they do not have top interior backup Liam Eichenberg available yet. The versatile O-lineman is weeks away from returning from the active/PUP list, Mike McDaniel said (via Jackson). McDaniel confirmed this issue is “not a season-ender.” The Dolphins re-signed Eichenberg (one year, $2.25MM) after seeing Isaiah Wynn miss all of last season due to a 2023 injury. Wynn is no longer on the roster, but second-round pick Jonah Savaiinaea is set to replace Eichenberg in Miami’s lineup.
  • Good news for the Patriots, who have seen their new DC (Terrell Williams) return to work at camp. A spring health scare sidelined Williams, but the Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi notes he is back ahead of his first year as a coordinator.
  • Josh Myers did not see his four years of starter experience lead to a noteworthy free agency deal, reminding of Teven Jenkins‘ market. The four-year Packers center starter, who received just $2MM from the Jets, did say (via SNY’s Connor Hughes) the team informed him upon signing he would move into a center competition with incumbent Joe Tippmann. We heard during OTAs the Jets would put Tippmann — a 2023 second-round pick — in a position battle with Myers, and it is ongoing. Both players are ex-second-round picks, though Myers’ 56 starts better Tippmann’s 31. Pro Football Focus ranked Tippmann eighth last season, slotting Myers in 38th among centers. Two years remain on Tippmann’s rookie deal.
  • Vince Carter does not intend for his Bills ownership stake to bring a silent partnership role. “I’ve sat with the GM, president, owner, the big boss,” Carter said, via the Daytona News-Journal’s Chris Vinel. “I’ve sat with everybody, and we’ve had conversations, and I just listen and learn. I don’t just want to have a name on it. I want to be involved.” While Carter is unlikely to represent the Bills at any owners meetings, he is one of many to take advantage of the NFL loosening restraints on private equity ownership recently.

Dolphins Discussing Deal With CB Rasul Douglas; Latest On DT Zach Sieler

July 21st, 2025 at 11:57am CST by Adam La Rose

Cornerback remains an area of need for the Dolphins at the onset of training camp. Rasul Douglas is still a clear target for the team on the free agent market.

Douglas has been linked to Miami on multiple occasions this offseason. The eight-year veteran would offer the Dolphins a starting-caliber option in the wake of Kendall Fuller‘s release and the long-awaited trade which ended Jalen Ramsey‘s tenure in South Beach. To no surprise, then, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports team and player remain in active contract discussions.

Douglas’ market has not seen many developments this offseason, one in which the Bills have moved forward without him. The 29-year-old does not anticipate a return to the Packers, but other suitors could see him as a worthwhile summer investment. Douglas and the Dolphins were not believed to be far apart in terms of finances earlier this month, so it would certainly be feasible for a deal to be struck soon.

Douglas has 80 starts to his name and he totaled 14 interceptions across the 2021, ’22 and ’23 seasons. The former third-rounder had a down year in Buffalo last season, something which will no doubt hurt his value on a new deal. The Dolphins are not in a position to afford a lucrative signing at the moment anyway, as they have roughly $2MM in cap space.

Another potential move to watch for regarding Miami is a potential Zach Sieler extension. The veteran defensive tackle is coming off his second straight 10-sack season and is thus a candidate for a raise on a new deal. Two years remain on Sieler’s contract with scheduled cap hits of $12.45MM and $14.75MM over that span. Regardless of what happens on the extension front, a training camp holdout will not take place in this case.

Agent Drew Rosenhaus said on Sunday (via Jackson) that Sieler will be in attendance for the start of training camp this week. When asked about participating in on-field work, he noted that will be a decision made internally amongst himself, Sieler and the Dolphins. Players angling for an extension often engage in a hold-in by attending training camp (and thus avoiding mandatory daily fines) but not taking part in practices until an agreement is reached.

A former seventh-round pick, Sieler has emerged as a vital member of the Dolphins’ defense during his time in Miami. The 29-year-old has seen his workload increase over each of the past four years, and he has operated as a full-time starter since 2022. In 2023, a $10.25MM-per-year extension was worked out; Sieler logged a full campaign in the first year after signing the pact and missed a pair of games last season. Durability should not be an issue during extension talks.

As the Ramsey situation illustrated in 2024, extending players early can wind up having negative effects (although his split with the team was based largely on a falling out with head coach Mike McDaniel). The Sieler situation could play out differently, of course, but it will be worth monitoring as the team explores at least one outside addition in the secondary.

Dolphins DT Zach Sieler To Miss Time

October 31st, 2024 at 7:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

OCTOBER 31: Sieler will not require surgery, per an update from Wolfe. McDaniel is unsure at this point if returning to the lineup in time for Week 9, but in any event significant missed time beyond Miami’s next game should not be expected given that news.

OCTOBER 25: The Dolphins’ offense is set to receive a major boost in Week 8. The team’s defense will, on the other hand, be missing a key contributor for the time being.

Defensive tackle Zach Sieler suffered an orbital bone fracture in practice, Cameron Wolfe and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report. He will be out for Week 8 at a minimum, but further evaluation will be needed to determine a firm recovery timeline. It remains to be seen if surgery and/or a stint on injured reserve will be required.

Missing Sieler for an extended period would deal a blow to Miami’s defensive front. The former seventh-rounder has emerged as a full-time starter during his time with the Dolphins, which dates back to the 2019 campaign. Sieler has logged a snap share of at least 77% each season since 2022, serving as a key member of the team’s D-line. Especially with free agent departure Christian Wilkins no longer in the picture, Sieler’s presence is crucial on a defense which ranks fourth in yards allowed per game.

The 29-year-old has been an important run-stopping presence over the past several years, and he chipped in as a secondary pass-rushing option as well before landing an extension last summer. That three-year, $30.75MM pact raised expectations, and Sieler delivered in 2023 with a career-high 10 sacks. Now that Wilkins is gone, Sieler has been counted on to a larger extent in terms of providing an interior rush presence. Being without it for a lengthy stretch would hinder a defense which already ranks 30th in the NFL in sacks.

Moving Sieler to IR would ensure at least a four-game absence. When speaking about the injury on Friday, head coach Mike McDaniel deemed the situation week to week (h/t Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald), so the outcome of further testing will be crucial in determining how long Sieler is sidelined for. The likes of Calais Campbell, Benito Jones and Brandon Pili will be counted on to handle a larger workload along the D-line in his absence.

Dolphins Restructures: Ramsey, Armstead, Sieler, Ingold, Smythe

March 24th, 2024 at 9:58pm CST by Ely Allen

The Dolphins were in a dangerous situation working with quite a precarious cap number. In an effort to get within compliance, Miami reworked the deals of several players in order to lessen their respective salary cap impacts.

One of the biggest deals to get done was the restructure of star cornerback Jalen Ramsey. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the team converted $13.89MM of Ramsey’s 2024 base salary (now only $1.21MM) and an $11MM roster bonus into a signing bonus while adding an additional void year to the two already in existence at the end of his contract.

The work put in by both sides resulted in a cap clearance of $19.91MM.

Here are a few other restructured deals the Dolphins utilized to increase their available cap space:

  • We mentioned after the re-signing of offensive guard Robert Jones that an adjusted contract was on the way for left tackle Terron Armstead. Lo and behold, per Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald, Armstead will accept a $4.25MM pay cut in 2024 while bringing in $10MM of guaranteed salary. His new deal includes a $7.29MM signing bonus, as well. The adjustments cleared another $10.29MM of cap space for the Dolphins.
  • It was Michael Ginnitti at Spotrac.com who informed us of the remaining adjustments. Defensive lineman Zach Sieler contributed by agreeing to convert $7.01MM of his 2024 base salary (now only $1.13MM) into a signing bonus while adding two void years to the end of his deal, resulting in the clearance of $5.6MM of cap space. Fullback Alec Ingold chipped in by agreeing to convert $2.08MM of his 2024 salary (now also $1.13MM) into a signing bonus while adding two void years to the end of his contract, as well, resulting in $1.66MM of cap space clearance. Finally, tight end Durham Smythe agreed to convert $2MM of his 2024 base salary (now also $1.13MM) into a signing bonus while adding three void years to the end of his current deal, resulting in $1.6MM of new cap space. Oyefusi points out that the addition of all those void years speaks to the dire nature of the team’s salary cap position. They ended up finding cap compliance in time for the new league year, but the cap hits of those void years will find them eventually.

Dolphins, DL Zach Sieler Agree To Extension

August 27th, 2023 at 11:03pm CST by Rory Parks

The Dolphins and defensive lineman Zach Sieler have agreed to a three-year contract extension, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Per Schefter, the deal is worth up to $38.65MM and includes $20MM in guarantees. The NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe says that the contract has a base value of $30.75MM and can top out at $35.7MM via incentives, so we will need to wait for a little more clarity with respect to Sieler’s maximum earnings. The reporters are in agreement on the $20MM guaranteed money figure.

Sieler, a seventh-round pick of the Ravens in 2018, is the last player that longtime Baltimore GM Ozzie Newsome drafted while at the top of the club’s personnel department. But like many Day 3 draftees, Sieler had a difficult time carving out a role for himself, and after appearing in just six games for the Ravens, he was waived in December 2019.

The Dolphins, who were in the midst of a rebuild at the time, claimed Sieler and gave him his first NFL start several weeks later. In that game, a victory over the Bengals, Sieler recorded his first career sack, along with seven total tackles and two passes defensed.

The Ferris State find built on that momentum the following year, and in November 2020, he landed a three-year, $8.58MM extension that ran through the 2023 season. That deal gave Sieler a little financial security, but it was also a buy-low transaction for the club, which was rewarded for its savvy waiver claim with over three years of a quality defensive lineman at a fairly modest cost.

In 2022, Sieler appeared in all 17 regular season games (15 starts). He set career-highs with a 77% snap share, 70 total tackles, four passes defensed, and two forced fumbles, and his 3.5 sacks matched his career-best total from 2020 (he also added two sacks, a fumble recovery, and a defensive touchdown in Miami’s postseason loss to the Bills). Pro Football Focus’ metrics considered him the 21st-best interior defender out of 127 qualifiers, and while PFF did not think highly of his pass rush work last season, it assigned him elite grades across the board in 2021, when it ranked him as the third-best interior DL in the league.

It stands to reason, then, that Sieler wanted a raise on the $2.5MM he was due to earn in the final year of his first Miami extension. Indeed, we heard in June that the soon-to-be 28-year-old was actively seeking a new contract, and player and team were able to come to terms before the start of a season in which the Dolphins are again expected to contend for a playoff berth.

Sieler’s fellow defensive lineman, Christian Wilkins, is pushing for his own lucrative extension, and he has staged a hold-in as part of his efforts to secure it. One wonders what type of impact, if any, the Sieler agreement will have on negotiations with Wilkins. While the Dolphins’ short-term salary cap outlook is less than ideal, the team did not supplement its D-line with any free agent signings or draft picks this year, and Miami generally takes care of the talent that Drew Rosenhaus represents (both Sieler and Wilkins are Rosenhaus clients).

Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa On Contract Situation

July 30th, 2023 at 8:50am CST by Rory Parks

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is extension-eligible, but he is also under club control through 2024 since Miami exercised the fifth-year option of his rookie deal. Although GM Chris Grier suggested earlier this offseason — and before he picked up his QB’s fifth-year option — that an extension was on the table, Tagovailoa himself told reporters on Wednesday that there have been no long-term contract talks, at least not recently.

“I haven’t talked about any contract since what I’ve understood with my fifth-year [option],” Tagovailoa said (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).

Fellow 2020 draftee Justin Herbert recently landed a massive new deal from the Chargers, and Joe Burrow, the No. 1 overall pick of that class, will likely score an even more lucrative pact in short order. Players like Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson have also put pen to paper on eye-popping extensions this offseason.

Tagoailoa, though, is content with his current status. “I don’t think that’s a worry of mine,” he said. “When things come, they’ll come because you either deserved it or it’s supposed to happen that way.”

The Fins’ apparent desire to let the 2023 season play out before committing to Tagovailoa on a long-term basis is certainly understandable. The Alabama product made great strides under rookie head coach Mike McDaniel in 2022, but his season was also marked by serious concussion issues. He displayed concussion-like symptoms in Week 3 against the Bills, and while he returned to action shortly after that sequence, an NFLPA investigation into the Dolphins’ handling of the situation led to an overhaul of the NFL’s concussion protocol. Tagovailoa entered the protocol four days later, after being stretchered off the field in Cincinnati, and he was placed in the revised protocol a day after sustaining an unspotted concussion against Green Bay on Christmas Day. He missed four full games last year, and the head injuries — to say nothing of the time he missed due to other maladies over the 2020-21 campaigns — have obviously created cause for concern. He even admitted earlier this year that he considered retirement.

Fortunately, doctors have told Tagovailoa that CTE is not a concern for him, and that no medical evidence proves that concussions are more likely eight to 12 months after suffering one (or two, or three). As such, he is back on the field and looking to build upon an otherwise promising campaign in which he led the league in quarterback rating (105.5), TD% (6.3%), and yards per attempt (8.9). If he can do that while remaining healthy, he will be a legitimate extension candidate next offseason.

“I think regardless of what it is, if [the Dolphins] wanted to do it now, if they wanted to wait, whatever,” Tagovailoa said. “I think for myself, I’m always a person that wants to prove to myself that I deserve whatever I get. So for me, I feel like this is something that I need to work for. It’s as plain and simple as that.”

In related news, two contract-year members of Miami’s roster — center Connor Williams and DT Zach Sieler — timely reported to training camp. As Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets, both players are nonetheless continuing their push for new deals. Williams skipped mandatory mincamp and OTAs, and Sieler attended minicamp after missing at least some OTAs.

Dolphins DT Zach Sieler Seeking New Contract

June 10th, 2023 at 12:29pm CST by Ben Levine

Dolphins defensive tackle Zach Sieler is set to earn an affordable $2.5MM this upcoming season, so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that he’s looking for a raise. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, “it’s no secret” that Sieler is seeking a new contract.

[RELATED: Dolphins Continue To Talk Extension With DT Christian Wilkins]

Back in 2020, Sieler inked a three-year extension with Miami that will last through the 2023 campaign. At the time, the defensive lineman didn’t have much of a track record. In the two years after being selected in the seventh round, he got into nine games with the Ravens and Dolphins. He inked the extension only a few months into his first full season in Miami, and he’s more than outperformed that pact since that time.

Over the past three seasons, Sieler hasn’t missed a game for the Dolphins, starting 32 of his 50 appearances. Over that span, the 27-year-old has compiled nine sacks, 24 tackles for loss, and 26 QB hits. This past season, he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 21 interior defender (among 127 qualifying players), with the site giving him particularly high grades for his run defense.

Sieler was absent from optional OTAs but ended up showing up for this week’s mandatory minicamp. While Sieler and agent Drew Rosenhaus could have played hard ball with the Dolphins, there’s a chance they bide their time while the organization focuses on more urgent matters.

As Jackson notes, the Dolphins may have to make some tough decisions when it comes to re-signing Sieler. The front office has been negotiating with Christian Wilkins’ camp for weeks, and that final number will ultimately cut into the cash available for the rest of the defensive line. Wilkins is set to earn $10.7MM in 2023.

Dolphins Extend DT Zach Sieler

November 16th, 2020 at 2:37pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Dolphins have been arguably the best story in football this season, and now they’re locking up one of their diamond in the rough finds. Miami has extended defensive tackle Zach Sieler through the 2023 season, the team announced Monday.

He had previously been set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the year. A seventh-round pick of the Ravens in 2018, the Dolphins claimed him off waivers from Baltimore in December of last year. He played in a few games for Miami down the stretch, and showed enough to earn a role in 2020. The Dolphins’ defense has been one of the biggest surprises in the NFL as they’ve played at a very high level recently, and Sieler has been a big part of the turnaround.

He’s played in all nine games this season, starting three, while notching right around half of the defensive snaps. So far he has 26 tackles, four for a loss, 1.5 sacks, and eight quarterback hits. We don’t have the financial terms yet for the Ferris State D2 alum, but we’ll pass those along as soon as we get word.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/12/20

March 12th, 2020 at 8:12pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s restricted free agent and exclusive rights free agent tender decisions will be posted below:

RFAs

Tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

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