The Dolphins Are Building a Solid Culture

The Dolphins Are Building a Solid Culture

Maybe it’s just because I’m from Massachusetts, and I listen to sports radio pretty often as the hosts lament the New England Patriots’ way of approaching contract extensions, but what the new regime is doing has me impressed. It’s a nice contrast to the Patriots’ way that sees New England playing hardball with their stars; look no further than the current standoff involving the team and star cornerback Christina Gonzalez. During Jon-Eric Sullivan’s short run as the Dolphins’ General Manager, he’s seemingly been much more open to getting deals done. 

First, we saw Miami’s best offensive weapon, De’Von Achane, ink a new deal. Achane has been a consistent threat from the backfield over the past two seasons. In 2024, he put up 907 yards and 8 touchdowns on the ground, while adding 78 receptions for 592 yards and 6 touchdowns.

The 2025 season saw him break out on the ground, where he went for 1,350 yards and 8 touchdowns, while his receiving work took a slight downturn with 67 receptions for 488 yards and 4 touchdowns. That kind of production deserves to be rewarded, and the team did just that while avoiding a potentially thorny situation in a holdout. 

Center Aaron Brewer has been the anchor of Miami’s offensive line since he was brought over from the Tennessee Titans in 2024. It’s difficult to quantify his position with the lack of stats at the position, but Pro Football Focus gave him a grade of 87.5 last season and ranked him second at his position. He was also named as a second-team All-Pro. That earned him a 3-year $52.5 million deal. 

The team has one remaining “pillar” to re-sign in linebacker Jordyn Brooks. Brooks had 99 solo tackles and 84 assisted tackles last season while adding 3.5 sacks. He’s absolutely established himself as a premier defender, and he’s looking to team up with fellow Texas Tech linebacker in second-round pick Jacob Rodriguez this season. If the Achane and Brewer contracts are any indication, expect Brooks to have a new deal sooner rather than later. 

The team made some hard moves this offseason. Cutting Tyreek Hill and Tua Tagovailoa was tough, and the Jaylen Waddle trade was even more so. It’s important to show your players and fans that good production is valued under the new leadership.

So far, I feel like Jon Eric-Sullivan has done a great job in doing so.

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