The Dolphins should take a cue from one of their AFC East rivals and make a free agent move to give a franchise legend his proper sendoff
A no-brainer free agent move awaits, Miami!
The Miami Dolphins aren’t really in the business of adding talent during this 2025 season. There’s a salary cap crunch, and the Dolphins are in the process of shedding salary and mature contracts to further lean into a youth movement. It’s the right move, only that much more so because of the dismissal of former general manager Chris Grier.
There is, however, one free agent addition that the Dolphins should be considering. It would be a move that draws inspiration from one of their AFC East rivals — a no-brainer decision even though it wouldn’t help Miami’s on-field product in 2025 at all.
The Patriots signed TE Rob Gronkowski to a one-day contract on Wednesday to allow him to retire a Patriot. The Dolphins should do the same with Cameron Wake.
Dolphins should draw inspiration from Patriots’ gesture to Rob Gronkowski, honor Cam Wake
Rob Gronkowski, who last played in the NFL in 2021, was most recently a New England Patriot in 2018. He retired in 2019 but came back out of retirement to play in Tampa Bay with Tom Brady in 2020 and 2021. He’ll now get a chance to formally file retirement papers as a member of the Patriots organization after signing his one-day contract.
The Dolphins have their own standout in the organization who played with Miami most recently in 2018, too. Cameron Wake, who posted 98 career sacks as a member of the Dolphins organization from 2009 to 2018, was the team’s most dominant player across the decade. Wake’s story was an incredible one — a former undrafted rookie out of Penn State who failed to stick with the New York Giants before heading to the CFL and honing his craft as a pass rusher. Wake signed with the Dolphins as a prized free agent in 2019 and promptly posted 19.5 sacks in his first two seasons in with the team. By the time he left Miami as a 37-year-old veteran, he was two short of triple digit sacks. He would go on to log 2.5 sacks as a member of the Tennessee Titans in 2019, his last season of NFL play.
Cam Wake’s Miami Dolphins career by the numbers
- 146 career games
- 98 quarterback sacks, 213 additional QB hits
- 97 tackles for loss
- Five time Pro Bowl selection, First-Team All-Pro in 2012
There has been no public reporting of Wake formally filing retirement paperwork. His playing career? Certainly over as a 43-year-old who has been out of the league for half a decade. But after posting nearly all of his NFL brilliance as a member of the Dolphins, why wouldn’t Miami embrace him and give him the chance to retire as a Dolphin? The Patriots’ gesture to Gronkowski should be viewed as inspiration that Miami should strongly consider following.
Wake’s 98 sacks in Miami rank second all-time in franchise history behind Jason Taylor’s 131.0. He was a five-time Pro Bowler and named first team All-Pro in 2012 and three other times voted second-team All-Pro. Wake finished as the runner-up to Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson in AP Comeback Player of the Year voting in 2016, posting 11.5 sacks while returning from an Achilles tear the year prior, at 34 years old, no less. So Stephen Ross, Tom Garfinkel, Champ Kelly, Mike McDaniel…whoever needs to hear it. Take note of what just went down in New England. And by all means, follow suit!
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