Jacob Rodriguez Continues to Impress Early in Rookie Season

Jacob Rodriguez Continues to Impress Early in Rookie Season

Rookie Miami Dolphins linebacker Jacob Rodriguez easily made the defensive play of the game in the second quarter of Sunday’s contest against the Kansas City Chiefs. He became one of only two players in the NFL to pick off superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes this season after he made a terrific dive for an interception.

And before that takeaway — Rodriguez’s first as an NFL player — Mahomes was absolutely tearing up the Dolphins’ defense. He had completed every one of his first 11 passing attempts with little resistance. The play was hugely impactful because it halted Mahomes’ red-hot start and prevented another Kansas City score during a highly competitive first half.

The interception was the cherry on top of Rodriguez’s great game, and it wasn’t the only thing he contributed to the Dolphins’ defense. He also registered three tackles for a loss and five tackles in total. Who’s the last Dolphins rookie to register an interception, five tackles, and three tackles for loss all in the same game, you might be asking? Well, Lavonte David put up those numbers against the Denver Broncos in 2012 — that was well over 10 years ago.

Through three games of his rookie season, Rodriguez has more than justified the Dolphins’ use of a second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on him. Rodriguez earned major awards during his senior season at Texas Tech after he showed off great versatility as a defensive playmaker, and that versatility has clearly carried over to the pros.

All in all, the youngster’s play this season marks a rare bright spot on a Dolphins defense that has been collectively pretty awful through three games.

His logging his first interception as an NFL player is both a huge personal milestone and further proof he is adjusting quickly to the league.