Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland deserved better. Millions better, to be specific.
The 2021 second round draft pick by the Dolphins was snubbed for his first ever Pro Bowl selection this year. The original ballot selections were announced by the NFL on Wednesday night, and while six Dolphins were on the list, Holland's name was not among them.
Had he been selected to the Pro Bowl on the original ballot, Holland would have received a big bump in pay for his efforts. His rookie deal runs through the 2024 season, and Holland is set to earn $1,848,601 in base salary for his fourth year of the deal per Spotrac.com.
Had he been selected to the Pro Bowl this year, a level three Proven Performance Escalator would have been triggered, which would have raised his base salary in his fourth year from $1,848,601 to the amount of the 2024 restricted free agent tender amount. Per OverTheCap.com, that amount is projected to be $4,633,000. As the PPE escalators are only available to players in their first three years, Holland won't get a chance to earn that bonus next year.
That's quite the chunk of change that Holland just missed out on. The unjust thing is there's little doubt he's earned it. Holland is having an excellent season for the Dolphins. Per Pro Football Focus, he's the third-highest graded safety in the league and the highest in the AFC at 90.5, behind Atlanta's Jessie Bates (90.8) and Tampa Bay's Antoine Winfield, Jr. (90.7).
Unfortunately, he hasn't filled the stat sheets with interceptions and turnovers despite being solid in his responsibilities on an every-down basis. Although he's probably had arguably the most exciting play of the entire NFL season with a 99-yard Hail Mary interception return for a touchdown against the Jets back on November 24. He's also played in 11 just games this season due to his knee injuries, although playing in only 9 games didn't keep Terron Armstead from being selected.
With that being said, Holland has more than earned a long-term contract extension with the Dolphins sooner than later. He's established himself as one of the best safeties in the league, even if he hasn't been properly recognized for it by the league. He'll eventually get paid.
It's still unfortunate to see someone not be rewarded for what they've clearly earned.
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