Miami Dolphins
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Dolphins cornerback Kader Kohou received some good news
The Miami Dolphins 2026 roster is shaping up to be vastly different from the one we saw in the 2025 season. For starters, the team already released All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill and Pro Bowl pass rusher Bradley Chubb. Additionally, the team is expected to release quarterback Tua Tagovailoa if a trade partner is not found.
However, the changes will not stop with those three players. The Dolphins have 35 players set to be unrestricted or restricted free agents. One of them is cornerback Kader Kohou, who has started 38 games for the Dolphins.
Unfortunately for Kohou, he was unable to see the field in the 2025 season as he suffered a season-ending knee injury during training camp. Now, the cornerback is set to be a free agent and he received some good news.
Miami Dolphins’ Kader Kohou Gets Good News
NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero reported that Kader Kohou has been fully cleared medically, seven months removed from his torn ACL that caused him to miss the 2025 season. Kohou was slated to be the team’s No. 1 cornerback heading into the season, but the team was forced to sign veteran free agents following his injury.
Kohou has primarily played the slot cornerback role for the Dolphins, but he does have experience playing on the outside as well. He has been graded as a top 40 cornerback in coverage grade by Pro Football Focus in two of his three seasons.Spotrac currently projectshis market value to be a one-year deal worth $2,047,307.
Regarding the possibility of re-signing Kohou after he was cleared,Sports Illustrated’s Alain Poupart wrote, “The bottom line is the Dolphins need cornerbacks and if Kohou is healthy again, they absolutely should look to bring him back — provided the cost is reasonable.”
The Dolphins have salary cap issues, which complicates things for them in free agency. Poupart added, “The Dolphins simply don’t have the cap space to get into bidding wars for any free agents, if we’re going to be honest about it.”
Dolphins’ Decision on Kohou
Prior to his clearance,Sports Illustrated’s Dante Collinelli had written about whether the Dolphins should re-sign Kouhouor let him leave in free agency. He wrote, “We think it’s smart to bring Kohou back. If he’s willing to play on a prove-it, one-year deal, and his injury is healing well, then he’s the perfect depth piece to add to a room that needs it.”
Regarding why the Dolphins should bring him back, Collinelli said, “Kohou missed all of last season with an ACL injury, but he was a pretty consistent starter for the previous three seasons. Additionally, Kohou has inside and outside versatility. That is always valuable, but for a Dolphins team with massive holes at cornerback and safety, keeping a player who can line up in the slot and on the outside reliably is even more important.
Lastly, Kohou seems like a good cultural fit for the type of defense new head coach Jeff Hafley wants to build. Kohou worked his way into a starting role after starting his career as a UDFA.
He’s also an incredibly physical player who loves to tackle and defend the run. That’s the type of corner Hafley should want for a tough, physical team.”