Why Dolphins' Second-Round Pick Is Still Unsigned

The Miami Dolphins are in a difficult spot with second-round pick Jonah Savaiinaea. 

Like most of the 32 second-round picks from this offseason’s draft, Savaiinaea remains unsigned. This matters a bit more now because Miami’s rookies are supposed to report to training camp on Tuesday. If he doesn’t sign before tomorrow, the Dolphins’ second-round pick will officially be behind. 

While Savaiinaea isn’t a “holdout” because he’s not under contract, he won’t be allowed to report or participate in training camp until he signs his rookie contract. 

The league has waivers that rookies can sign to participate in things like minicamp without a contract, but that doesn’t fly with training camp. 

As mentioned above, Savaiinaea is one of 29 other second-round picks who remain unsigned across the league. The likely reason for this is due to the contracts of the two players who did sign. 

Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins and Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger both received fully guaranteed rookie deals. Since rookie contracts are set by the CBA, guarantees and offsets are the only things that can be negotiated. 

Savaiinaea will get a four-year contract worth $11.3 million with a $4.9 million signing bonus when he does sign, regardless — it’s just a matter of whether the Dolphins cave and fully guarantee his deal. 

It should also be noted that the NFL and NFLPA are currently facing backlash for their handling of a settlement of a case centered around whether owners colluded to drive down guaranteed money in player contracts. 

There are many layers to that story, but it's interesting to see all of it unfold while so many players are in contract disputes over guarantees. 

The Dolphins had no issues signing the rest of their draft class, locking up Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips, Ollie Gordon, Dante Trader Jr., Quinn Ewers, and Zeek Biggers before rookie minicamp. 

First-round pick Kenneth Grant received a four-year contract (with a team option) worth almost $22 million, which was fully guaranteed as the 13th overall pick.

Why Savaiinaea’s Absence Matters

It’s not yet panic time for Dolphins fans, but Savaiinaea remaining unsigned does matter. 

His potentially missing the rookie report date isn’t too big of a deal, as training camp starts in earnest with veterans reporting on July 22nd. If Savaiinaea remains unsigned by then, he’ll be missing real reps. 

The Dolphins traded up in the second round for Savaiinaea with the idea that he would be one of the team’s starting guards this season, a position they’ve struggled mightily with in recent years. 

Savaiinaea's road-grading play style is also an essential part of the Dolphins’ commitment to being a tougher team in the middle, especially when running the football. 

Arguably, the most critical consequence of a prolonged absence would be a lack of chemistry upfront. Chemistry along the offensive line is incredibly important, and that starts in the early days of training camp. 

Miami is adding another new guard to the equation in James Daniels, while Austin Jackson is returning from a season-ending knee injury, and Patrick Paul barely played last year. The Dolphins’ projected starting line hasn’t really played together much. 

Again, Savaiinaea missing this first week or even the first part of training camp probably isn’t too big of a deal. He’ll be behind but can still catch up. 

However, if he remains unsigned as the Dolphins prepare for preseason games, it might be time to be concerned about whether Savaiinaea can be ready in time for the season. That is something the Dolphins can’t afford, given how much they’re relying on Savaiinaea in 2025. 

The worst-case scenario is that Savaiinaea — one of his two listed agents, Ryan Williams, also represents Tua Tagovailoa — refuses to sign and decides to re-enter the draft in 2026. 

Under that scenario, the Dolphins would receive no compensation. This scenario is highly unlikely to occur and is being mentioned solely for the sake of thoroughness.