Miami Releases 7 Players, and 2 Starters Emerge

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Miami Releases 7 Players, and 2 Starters Emerge

Originally posted on Dolphins Talk | By Julian Dieni | Last updated May 4, 2026 6:56 PM ET

Miami Releases 7 Players, and 2 Starters Emerge

The Miami Dolphins have released/waived the following seven players: long snapper Taybor Pepper, cornerback Isaiah Johnson, tight end Zack Kuntz, cornerback Jason Maitre, edge Derrick McLendon, inside linebacker K.C. Ossai, and punter Seth Vernon.

The team needed to make room for the draft class, and I drafted free agent signings on the roster, as you can only carry 90 players when minicamp rolls around. Miami’s rookie minicamp starts on May 8th.

Only a few of these released players have a major impact on the Dolphins’ outlook in 2026. Releasing a long snapper and punter means there are already some positions that have a *potential* week 1 starter in place.

The Dolphins’ special teams unit consists of long snapper Tucker Addington, punter Bradley Pinion, and kickers Zane Gonzalez and Riley Patterson. Tucker Addington has started 10 games as a long snapper, including 3 for Miami in 2024. For the last 4 seasons, Bradley Pinion was the punter for the Atlanta Falcons.

Roster Moves | We have released long snapper Taybor Pepper and waived cornerback Isaiah Johnson, tight end Zack Kuntz, cornerback Jason Maitre, edge Derrick McLendon, inside linebacker K.C. Ossai and punter Seth Vernon. pic.twitter.com/NeXjRegkDV

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) May 4, 2026

Riley Patterson was Miami’s primary kicker in 2025 after Jason Sanders got injured. Zane Gonzalez was the kicker signed by Miami in free agency after he spent 9 games kicking in Atlanta.

Amongst the other players released, none made an impact with Miami in the 2025 regular season or before. Cornerback Isaiah Johnson spent the most time on the active roster with 3 games played and 3 tackles recorded. McClendon played 1 game for the Dolphins in 2025. Jason Maitre spent the last season between Miami’s practice squad and free agency.

So Tucker Addington is your Dolphins long snapper, Bradley Pinion your Dolphins punter and Zane Gonzalez or Riley Patterson is your Dolphins kicker. Carry on.

— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) May 4, 2026

Zack Kuntz and KC Ossai signed futures deals with Miami after the end of their regular seasons. Taybor Pepper and Seth Vernon were brought in to compete for the starting jobs at their respective positions.

More will be released as camp battles occur and teams thin out their rosters in preparation for the NFL preseason. As of now, Miami has secured the position of long snapper and punter.

This article first appeared on Dolphins Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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