Nik Needham sends emotional message to Dolphins fans after release

The Miami Dolphins' decisions on the roster are so tight that one of their best undrafted stories is coming to an end. Nik Needham has been released.

Needham battled the undrafted status and proved naysayers wrong in 2019 when he made the Dolphins' final roster. In his first season, he posted two interceptions in 11 starts and also forced a fumble. He missed several games later in the year due to injury but stormed back again in 2020, playing in 16 games and 17 in 2021. Then, injury hit again and he played in only six.

The 2023 season was a bounce-back year for Needham, but he never got much playing time in the 10 games under Vic Fangio. Now, he will hit the free-agent market and should find suitors for his versatility alone.

Nik Needham responds to surprising Dolphins release

On the day of being cut, Needham reached out to his fans to thank them for the support.

Needham could still return to the Dolphins, but given how he has played over his career, it would be surprising if he doesn't draw interest from elsewhere. As a vested veteran, he doesn't need to go through the waiver process and is free to sign with any team immediately.

He entered the 2024 offseason needing to compete for a roster spot. He was being cross-trained as a safety alongside Elijah Campbell. The competition was going to be close for a final 53 spot.

Needham finishes his Dolphins career with 199 combined tackles, 143 of them solo. He had six interceptions, a forced fumble, and three sacks as a member of the Dolphins.

The Dolphins have trimmed their roster to 53 players and had to make several tough decisions. One of them was to release a fan favorite in Needham.

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