The Miami Dolphins are keeping the heartbeat of their defense right where it is, agreeing Tuesday to a three-year contract extension with All-Pro inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks that secures the centerpiece of their rebuild.
According to RealGM, the reported pact is roughly $51.3 million with about $35 million guaranteed, serious money for a 28-year-old who has been among the NFL's most productive tacklers over the last two seasons. ESPN insider Adam Schefter first reported the terms on X after receiving a message from Brooks' agent, and national outlets quickly followed. The Dolphins had not yet posted a formal team release with a full contract breakdown as of Tuesday afternoon.
Deal details and Brooks' recent season
Brooks is coming off a monster 2025 campaign, finishing with a league-leading 183 tackles and earning first-team All-Pro honors after a breakout season, per his stat page at Pro-Football-Reference and the team's news release. The extension gives Miami long-term stability in the middle of its defense while rewarding a player who has already led the NFL in tackles and been a steady presence since arriving in South Florida.
For a franchise in the early stages of a roster reshape, tying up an elite inside linebacker in his prime is the kind of move that signals the front office is serious about building from the middle out.
How the extension fits Miami's roster plan
Brooks' deal is the latest in a string of moves aimed at locking in Miami's young core. Earlier this offseason, the team gave running back De'Von Achane a multiyear extension, and in June they reached an agreement with center Aaron Brewer. Field Level Media reported Achane's four-year extension, with roughly $32 million guaranteed and up to $68 million in incentives, while the NFL reported Brewer's three-year, $52.5 million extension earlier this summer.
Those signings, along with Brooks' new contract, underscore a front-office push to keep its preferred core together as general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan reshapes the rest of the roster. Sullivan has publicly labeled Brooks a foundational piece the Dolphins intend to keep long term, and the extension effectively removes one of Miami's biggest offseason questions, according to Yahoo Sports.
Brooks, for his part, stayed involved in voluntary work and kept his comments measured while negotiations played out, telling reporters recently, "I'm just controlling what I can control," when asked about his contract status.
With training camp fast approaching, the Dolphins now have a proven leader locked in at the heart of their defense as they sort through younger depth around him and turn their attention to the remaining roster and cap decisions before the regular season kicks off.
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