The Dolphins’ 2025 free agency class continues to age like sour milk in July
It’s almost impressive.
The 2024 free agency crop for the Miami Dolphins was sensational. Center Aaron Brewer. Linebacker Jordyn Brooks. Tight end Jonnu Smith.
But as the football gods give, they can also taketh away. And boy, oh boy, did they taketh away from the Dolphins in 2025. Miami spent minimal in free agency last offseason, in part out of necessity. But the two signings they did make with significant dollars attached to them are aging at an impressive fast (and poor) rate. The latest development is the termination of offensive guard James Daniels‘ three-year, $24 million contract from last spring after just three snaps.
Dolphins release offensive guard James Daniels, effective immediately
Daniels played just three snaps for Miami in 2025 after rehabbing to return from a 2024 torn Achilles with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Daniels was one of only two signings that then-general manager Chris Grier made north of $5 million annually — the other being backup quarterback Zach Wilson. Wilson, of course, was beat out by seventh-round rookie QB Quinn Ewers in December to start once the team sat down Tua Tagovailoa for the rest of the season.
The Daniels signing is a painful one because it perpetuated one of the biggest weaknesses from the 2024 team: the guard play. Daniels was supposed to fix it. Instead, he played the opening offensive possession against the Colts in Week 1 before mysteriously never being heard from again. He had what was described at the time as a pec strain.
With his absence comes a painful sting that will last all of 2026, too. Daniels’ release, which per reports will happen today, brings the Dolphins a $4.8 million dead cap charge for the 2026 season. Miami must pay off the remaining debt from Daniels’ 2025 signing bonus. When you pair this transaction with Wilson’s void money (his contract voided last week), Miami now carries $8.4 million in dead cap space this year for one year of third-string quarterback play and three snaps from Daniels. If you want to know why Grier is out and now Jon-Eric Sullivan has the controls in Miami, these kinds of issues are a good summary as to why.
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