The 2025 NFL Draft was held in Green Bay, Wisconsin, at the end of April. Since then, OTAs and mandatory minicamps have started, and training camp is on the docket. We have steadily been hearing about different rookies signing their contracts. One of the latest ones was the Miami Dolphins' second-round pick Jonah Savaiinaea out of Arizona.
The Dolphins are signing Savaiinaea to a fully guaranteed four-year contract worth $11.3 million with a $4.9 million signing bonus, NFL reporter Mike Garafolo reported on Friday. Savaiinaea can officially report to training camp after missing the rookie report date earlier this week.
Garofolo broke the news on X/Twitter with a post that said, “The#Dolphins have agreed to terms with G Jonah Savaiinaea, sources tell me and@RapSheet. The 37th pick's contract is 100 percent guaranteed over four years in a deal negotiated by@RyanWilliamsA1 of @AthletesFirst.”
The Dolphins caved on Savaiinaea based on the market for the early second-round picks. In last year's draft, three players selected ahead of Savaiinaea received fully guaranteed deals. New Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori, the 35th pick, was the most recent second-rounder to sign his contract.
Running back Quinshon Judkins is the only remaining second-round pick in front of Savaiinaea, who has yet to sign his rookie contract. However, he was most recently arrested on a domestic-violence charge last Saturday, putting even more uncertainty in the air around him.
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Jonah Savaiinaea and his agent asked for almost the same deal a player with only two picks in front of him got, leaving the Dolphins with little to no leverage to negotiate.
It is worth noting that the Dolphins had no issues signing the rest of their draft class, locking up Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips, Ollie Gordon, Dante Trader Jr., Quinn Ewers, and Zeek Biggers all before the rookie minicamp started.
Getting this deal done now and as soon as possible means Savaiinaea won't be behind as a rookie in training and preparation. He can also maximize the time he works with the veterans on the line. He needs time to get acclimated at guard, and the rest of the offensive line also needs reps after James Daniels was added in free agency. Patrick Paul and Austin Jackson are primed to have even bigger roles.
Savaiinaea was a dominant offensive lineman at the University of Arizona, but played tackle as a part of the 2023 Arizona team that went on a big run that culminated in a thrilling Alamo Bowl win. At his size, 6-foot-4 and 324 pounds, he is more suited for offensive guard and has much potential to produce.
a]:text-link [&_>a]:underline">Jake Faigus graduated from the University of Arizona in 2022 and has had stops at Catena Media, Playmaker, DraftKings, USA Today, Spike Up, and Spotlight Sports Group. He also writes for Sporting News and works at iHeartMedia in Phoenix.