Former Dolphins starter takes team’s recent injury bad luck with him to new home in 2025

Jones, who signed a one-year, $3.75 million deal with the Dallas Cowboys this spring, was aspiring to compete for a starting job with Dallas. And, in the first few days of camp, he was given some opportunities to lineup with the presumed first-team before the brutal news hit that he'd suffered a broken bone in his neck. He's now expected to miss several months of action before being ready to return.

Miami doesn't need to worry about whether or not Jones is going to be a viable option to line up and block this season, but Jones is still a relevant figure for some 2026 offseason resources that are at stake for the Dolphins. Miami spent the early chapters of this offseason being quite selective with their free agency strategy. That has changed in recent days as the team looks to actively plug away at some of the team's lingering needs. But as a byproduct of Miami's selective spending early on and some of their free agent losses in March, including Jones, the Dolphins are currently projected by OverTheCap to recoup a fourth-round compensatory draft choice for their net gains and losses in free agency via Jevon Holland's departure.

Robert Jones is a piece of that puzzle, as he's serving as a qualifying lost player in free agency. And depending of the playing time of several players the Dolphins signed this offseason, the Dolphins could be in line for a second — or none at all.

The financial terms of Jones' contract, with a $3.75 million value, should keep him protected from falling out of the qualifying player range all together, which would be a major win for the Dolphins amid the uncertainty now surrounding Jones' start to the season. Miami can be content to simply root for an old friend and hope to see Jones healed up and back on the field as soon as possible this fall. The compensatory pick sub-plot for 2025 will ultimately be decided by other players qualifying as gains and losses, despite Jones' bad news this summer.