The five most expensive Miami Dolphins players for the 2026 season — for now
Which members of the 2026 Miami Dolphins are set to earn the most money this season?
The Miami Dolphins‘ roster is, in NFL terms, quite inexpensive.
It’s even more so when you remember that more than $50 million in payroll is going to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who now plays of the Atlanta Falcons. Even with the inflated Tagovailoa buyout, Miami ranks last in the league in cash spending for the 2026 season. That does not mean, however, that there aren’t some well-compensated players in place. Now that the new details of center Aaron Brewer’s contract are in, we can reassess who the five most expensive members of the 2026 Miami Dolphins roster are. That is, of course, until a potential Jordyn Brooks extension is done. Here’s the current pecking order to reflect Brewer’s new compensation figure.
The five most expensive Miami Dolphins players for the 2026 season — for now
1. QB Malik Willis – $23,500,000 total cash in 2026
Willis gets the top spot on the active roster — but his compensation for a starting quarterback is fairly economic. Willis’ compensation for this season ranks 17th in the NFL and is well off the pace of the $50M+ amount that names such as Josh Allen, Jared Goff, Daniel Jones, and yes…Tua Tagovailoa are getting in 2026.
2. DT Zach Sieler – $16,745,000 total cash in 2026
Sieler’s mark is also a fringe top-20 cash figure for his relative position. Sieler is looking to bounce back in 2026 and help lead the charge for a young interior defensive line group that has the physical ability to be one of the engines of the defense.
3. OL Kadyn Proctor – $16,341,448 total cash in 2026
This, right here, is the luxury of being a high draft choice with the rookie wage scale. It’s worth noting that Proctor is getting more than half of the total value of his rookie contract this season courtesy of his high signing bonus. His 2027 cash figure will drop to just over $2 million. So this is a high-priced player now but he’ll be at a discount for the next three seasons to follow. Especially if he’s as good as Miami hopes he’ll be.
4. iOL Aaron Brewer – $12,465,000 total cash in 2026
The Miami Dolphins locked Brewer in last month on a three-year extension. The mark makes him one of the highest-paid centers in football and comes with a cash raise of nearly $5.5 million for 2026. Brewer gets some long-term security to go with the cash raise, too. His 2027 compensation is fully guaranteed and should have him back on this list next year.
5. CB Chris Johnson – $11,192,612 total cash in 2026
Johnson’s front-loaded signing bonus as a first-round pick pushes him just in front of De’Von Achane for the final spot on the cash rankings for the Miami Dolphins. All the same rules apply to Johnson as they do for Proctor. He’ll be a bargain starting in 2027, but he’s getting a lump sump up front.
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