After locking down De'Von Achane and Aaron Brewer to substantial new deals this offseason, Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan had just one "pillar" of the team left to make a decision on before the season: All-Pro linebacker Jordyn Brooks. Well, consider the decision made. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Brooks and the Dolphins agreed Tuesday to a new three-year, $51.3 million deal with $35 million fully guaranteed.
Brooks has been nothing but sensational since arriving in South Beach in 2024, racking up 326 total tackles, 24 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks over his two seasons with the team. While he was very good in 2024, it was last season that Brooks truly broke out. He led the NFL in tackles with 183 on his way to his first All-Pro honor.
His $17.1 million average salary puts him just above Philadelphia Eagles star Zach Baun as the fifth-highest-paid off-ball linebacker in the league. While Brooks has more than earned his new deal, many wondered if it would be Miami that gave it to him. Clearly, though, he was deemed too valuable to move on from.
The Miami Dolphins sent a strong message to the rest of the roster with Jordyn Brooks' new deal
Trade rumors have been a constant theme this offseason for Brooks, but not due to any fault of his own. Unlike many other veterans entering their late 20's or early 30's, Brooks seems to be entering his prime following his All-Pro campaign from a year ago. Instead, the rumors were due to the Dolphins' decision to tear down the roster under the new leadership of Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley.
On top of releasing many of the players that defined the last half-decade of football in Miami, Sullivan traded away wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick earlier this offseason. Many assumed that a player like Brooks could be next, especially with his value likely never being higher than it is now.
Instead, they chose to make him one of the faces of this new era of the Dolphins, and I believe for one reason: his physical, no-nonsense style of football. The Dolphins were known far more for their speed and explosiveness under Mike McDaniel than for anything else, and while there were flashes of greatness, they never earned a single playoff victory.
Hafley is a defensive-minded HC, and he clearly views Brooks as a player who can help build the type of culture needed to be successful on that side of the ball. Even if Brooks is no longer an All-Pro caliber player by the time Miami is ready to compete, his extension will be worth it if he can help guys like Jacob Rodriguez and Kyle Louis reach their potential.
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