Five-time Pro Bowl tackle undecided on playing in 2024

Terron Armstead is tied to a five-year, $75M contract, but the Dolphins do not yet have assurances their Pro Bowl left tackle will come back for a third year in Miami. Armstead stopped short of guaranteeing he would return in 2024.

The 11-year veteran said he remains in pursuit of a Super Bowl ring but added, via ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Beasley, that he would not push his body beyond its limits. Armstead has remained an effective tackle when available, but the ex-Saints mainstay has continued to deal with various injuries since changing teams in 2022.

Armstead, 32, missed seven games this season and four games in 2022. He has never played 16 games in a season and has missed 59 contests throughout his career. Armstead landed on IR due to a knee injury and dealt with multiple knee maladies during his second year in Miami. He later missed time because of quad trouble. Last year, myriad maladies affected Armstead, though he was still effective for a Dolphins team that closed the season with its third-string quarterback (Skylar Thompson) making starts.

While Tua Tagovailoa made it through this season healthy, the Dolphins were forced to use several O-line combinations to account for injuries to all five starters at points. Left guard Isaiah Wynn and center Connor Williams suffered season-ending injuries, and Armstead joined right guard Robert Hunt in missing seven games.

Armstead and right tackle Austin Jackson are locked up through 2026, with the team’s right tackle signing a $12M-per-year extension late in the season. Armstead is due a $13.25M base salary in 2024. Neither tackle’s pact puts him in the top 10 at his respective position, giving the Dolphins good value. Due to the $19M-plus in prorated bonus money on Miami’s books through 2026, Armstead retiring would be costly for the Dolphins. But we appear a ways away from the five-time Pro Bowler making a decision.

Hunt and Williams are both due for free agency in March. Dolphins GM Chris Grier praised Williams, who angled for a new contract this past offseason, but stopped short of indicating the center — who played out a two-year, $14M deal — was a priority to retain. Williams suffering an early-December ACL tear will damage his free agency value. Hunt does appear higher on Miami’s priority list. Grier said the team discussed an extension with the talented guard during the season.

As of September, no Hunt discussions had taken place. But it appears the Dolphins are interested in having three O-linemen on veteran accords. A nagging hamstring injury caused Hunt, 27, to miss nearly half the season. But the three-year guard starter has been effective when healthy; he would be one of the top O-linemen available in free agency. Grier pointed to Hunt hitting the market but indicated the team still wants him back.

“I’m happy for Rob. He got back at the end of the year for us,” Grier said (via the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson). “Rob has earned the right to be a free agent; we had a conversation with him during the season. We’ll see what happens. We would like him to be here.”

Hunt stands to join Jonah Jackson (Lions), Damien Lewis (Seahawks) and Ezra Cleveland (Jaguars) as key first-time free agents at guard, with guard/tackle Michael Onwenu (Patriots) also profiling as an option for teams in need of interior help. It will be interesting to see if the Dolphins’ Jackson contract — agreed to in December — affects the team’s interest in paying Hunt market value.