Dolphins running back rumors have circulated for most of the year, but no splash transaction has occurred. However, the team will make a notable payment to its fullback. Alec Ingold is now locked down through the 2026 season.
Miami is extending Ingold on a three-year deal worth up to $17.2M, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. This makes Ingold the league’s second-highest-paid fullback — behind only San Francisco’s Kyle Juszczyk. Mike McDaniel having coached both Juszczyk and Ingold represents the relevant tie here, with this offensive scheme valuing the long-downward-trending position.
This represents a nice turnaround for Ingold, whom the Raiders nontendered as a restricted free agent last year. In McDaniel’s first months on the job, the Dolphins scooped up Ingold on a two-year, $6.5M deal. The sixth-year fullback is no longer going into a contract year.
Ingold is now making more money than every Dolphins running back. Neither Raheem Mostert nor Jeff Wilson signed for more than $3MM per year this offseason. Illustrating the state of the running back, Ingold was already making more than the recently re-signed Miami backs. But the system Mike McDaniel uses has continued to use fullbacks regularly.
The Dolphins had already illustrated their commitment to this position last year; Ingold was previously the league’s third-highest-paid fullback. It should be expected Juszczyk’s $5.4M-per-year deal will remain the NFL standard, with incentives likely part of Ingold’s pact. But the 26-year-old will be tied to top-end fullback money for the foreseeable future.
Debuting in McDaniel’s offense, Ingold caught a career-high 15 passes last season. He has scored a receiving touchdown in each of his four seasons. As the Raiders shifted to Josh McDaniels’ offense, they went in another direction — ex-McDaniels Patriots charge Jakob Johnson — at the position. The Dolphins used Ingold on 418 snaps last season, a mark that nearly doubled his previous career high. After authorizing this contract, it is safe to assume Ingold will be a regular part of McDaniel’s offense in the long run.
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