The NFL is a league filled with continuous irony, and nothing is more ironic than the Miami Dolphins getting slapped around in the offseason by a coach they were fined for tampering with.
Jevon Holland was never coming back to the Dolphins. Chris Grier made sure of that when he handed out more money to his quarterback and wide receivers and then handed more money to Jalen Ramsey during the 2024 offseason. Holland saw the disrespect and lack of interest.
Holland's likely departure leaves the Dolphins without a starting safety, and Patrick McMorris is the only safety on the roster with any degree of experience. One player many believed would land in Miami was former San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga.
The Dolphins were expected to be all-in on replacing Holland with the talented and hard-hitting free agent, but ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Payton's Broncos have signed him to a three-year deal worth $45 million, with $20 million guaranteed.
Sean Payton continues to make Dolphins pay for past mistakes
Three full seasons ago, news broke that the Dolphins and Stephen Ross were trying to lure Payton out of retirement. When Brian Flores dropped the Brady-Gate bombshell, the Payton tampering also came to light. The Dolphins would go with Mike McDaniel and eventually trade a first-round pick to the Broncos for Bradley Chubb.
The Broncos would use that selection to trade for Payton. In 2023, the Dolphins nearly set a new NFL record for most points scored when they posted 70 against Payton's Broncos.
Last year, Payton began his payback. With rookie Bo Nix at quarterback, Denver turned around its season and chased the Chiefs for the AFC West. While they fell short, their Week 17 victory against the Chiefs knocked the Dolphins out of the playoffs.
Now, Payton is taking the best option to replace Holland off the board for the Dolphins.