The Dolphins have made a surprising salary cap move midway through the 2025 season — but it may not mean what you’d first assume
…now why would they do that?
The Miami Dolphins appear to be aligning themselves for a new vision for the future. When that time comes, roster moves are usually made with long-term conservatism in mind. Pushing out salaries for added salary cap space in the here and now is typically seen as detrimental and counterproductive.
This is why a report today from ESPN’s Field Yates has caught some eyeballs pertaining to a salary cap move involving Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks.
Dolphins restructure Jordyn Brooks’ contract, create $3 million in 2025 cap space
The maneuver has created plenty of speculation — are the Dolphins trading someone else away and need more wiggle room? Are they moving Brooks and cutting down the salary a buyer would need on their cap to fit him before the trade deadline?
Never say never in this business. But I would first point everyone to the NFL Players Association’s daily salary cap report for your first (and best) indication of why Miami restructured Brooks’ contract to create $3 million in salary cap space.
The report, generated daily, listed the Dolphins this morning with just $714,318 in room below their 2025 cap ceiling. That mark was the lowest in the league, spurred on in large part by being forced to carry the third-most amount of 2025 salary cap commitments on reserve lists due to injury.
Miami restructured Brooks, in all likelihood, because it needed some wiggle room for player personnel transactions throughout the remainder of the season.
2025 NFL team leaders in cap space currently on reserve lists for injury
- Cincinnati Bengals – $58,651,419 in cap space on reserves
- San Francisco 49ers – $56,129,123 in cap space on reserves
- Miami Dolphins – $51,104,901 in cap space on reserves
- Cleveland Browns – $49,768,000 in cap space on reserves
- Arizona Cardinals – $43,154,865 in cap space on reserves
If you want to restructure contracts and create space, players like Brooks are the ones you ought to do it with. There have been a few bright spots on Miami’s roster so far in 2025, but Brooks, for the second consecutive year, is one of them.
His life has been made harder by the inconsistent play of the defensive interior and the revolving door of safeties and nickel defenders around him in the back seven. But he’s been productive, reliable, and tough.
It’s the kind of player you’d like to believe Miami could build around in its next vision of a football team. And that, just as much as the need for some cap wiggle room, is why he’s the candidate who gets his name called to push cap commitments into the future.
Miami Dolphins News
A trio of Dolphins players are currently threatening to derail one of Miami’s 2026 assets with their play this season
Boy, there sure are a lot of conflicting interests ’round these parts!
