Jordyn Brooks led the entire NFL in tackles last season and earned First-Team All-Pro honors for the first time in his career. The Miami Dolphins linebacker is now entering the final year of his contract, and the market for his position has shifted in his favor.
Dec 15, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell (14) fights off a tackle attempt by Miami Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks (20) during the first half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
Brooks signed a three-year, $26.25 million deal with the Dolphins in 2024 free agency after four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, who selected him 27th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. He led the league with 183 total tackles in 2025, while adding 3.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss. His 2026 cap hit sits at $10.86 million.
Brooks’ next contract is now drawing real attention. According to a projection from Spotrac shared on social media, Brooks is expected to sign a four-year extension worth $77.3 million, an average annual value of $19.3 million. That would rank him as the third-highest paid linebacker in the NFL.
The number tracks with a shift already underway at the position. Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair signed a three-year, $54 million extension in May, an $18 million annual figure that became the new ceiling for off-ball linebackers outside the true elite tier of Fred Warner and Roquan Smith.
Brooks addressed his contract situation during OTAs, saying: “I don’t know,” Brooks said. “It can go either way honestly, but for me, I’m just controlling what I can control. Play football. I’m blessed to do it and so I’m going to just keep approaching it that way.”
Miami’s front office, led by general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, has already moved on two other extension candidates this offseason. The Dolphins signed running back De’Von Achane to a four-year, $68 million deal and locked up center Aaron Brewer, leaving Brooks as the most prominent remaining name without a new contract.
Not everyone in Miami’s building is certain an extension is the right move. Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski argued the Dolphins could instead trade Brooks for draft capital while his value is high, given the team’s broader rebuild. The front office has already dealt away Jaylen Waddle and Minkah Fitzpatrick this offseason to add picks.
Jordyn Brooks’ Breakout 2025 Season and Contract Situation
Any decision on Brooks runs through Miami’s salary cap picture. The Dolphins will carry roughly $179 million in dead cap charges during the 2026 season, the highest figure in the NFL, a byproduct of multiple roster cuts and restructures tied to the team’s ongoing rebuild under Sullivan.
Extending Brooks would create $5.32 million in immediate cap savings for Miami this year, similar to the $3.61 million and $4.22 million the team freed up by extending Achane and Brewer. Those figures explain why an extension, rather than simply letting Brooks play out his deal, makes financial sense for the team’s 2026 cap sheet.
Brooks will turn 29 in October and enter his age-30 season in 2027, which could limit the length of any new deal. He remains Miami’s clearest defensive leader regardless of which direction the front office chooses. With training camp set to open in late July, the Dolphins have not yet established a firm deadline to resolve Brooks’ contract situation.
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