Why Extending Jordyn Brooks Is a No-Brainer

The Miami Dolphins will have a lot of difficult decisions to make this offseason. 

They need to hire a new general manager and make decisions on the future of head coach Mike McDaniel and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. However, there’s one decision that should be an absolute no-brainer. 

The Dolphins should work on extending linebacker Jordyn Brooks this offseason. Miami signed Brooks to a three-year deal in the 2024 offseason, and he’s put together two years of excellent play. 

Along with on-field play, Brooks has become a team captain and one of the team’s most critical leaders this season. 

“It’s rare that a quiet, business-like, focused, serious person almost becomes the voice of your team,” head coach Mike McDaniel said about Brooks on Wednesday. “That process is really cool because the quiet guy doesn’t talk until others ask what he has to say. He’s doing his job. He’s relentless. He’s tough.” 

It’s hard not to imagine that Brooks’ leadership, along with his play, is one of the significant reasons Miami’s defense has improved in the second half of the season. 

The Dolphins restructured Brooks' deal during the 2025 season, convering salary into a signing bonus that will be spread out over several years, but Brooks doesn't have any guarantees beyond 2025.

He's certainly a player the Dolphins would want to have around for a few more years regardless of who the head coach or general manager ends up being.

What Makes Brooks So Good? 

Something that many forget when talking about Brooks is that he was a first-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2020 NFL draft. He also had a bunch of highly productive seasons before coming to Miami. 

Brooks has always been a talented player, but he’s taken his run defense to another level this season. Of course, there’s the whole thing about him leading the league and tackles and possibly having the second-most in Dolphins history. 

But tackles can be a misleading stat. What’s far more relevant than how many tackles a linebacker has is how quickly they’re making them. 

Among true inside linebackers, Brooks ranks fifth in tackles for loss against the run with nine this season. He’s also tied for fourth in Pro Football Focus’ run stop stat, which tracks tackles that result in a “failure” for the offense. 

Brooks’ 29 run stops puts him just three behind the NFL leader, Jack Campbell of the Detroit Lions. 

All of those numbers are impressive on their own — Brooks is a high-impact player against the run, which is every inside linebacker’s primary job. 

Perhaps the most impressive number of all is that Brooks has just one missed tackle against the run this season, according to PFF. For a team like Miami, which couldn’t tackle anyone early in the season, that is wildly impressive. 

You’d be right to point out that Brooks’ coverage metrics and tape haven’t been great this season, but winning in coverage at linebacker has never been harder than it is in the modern NFL. 

Brooks has ability there, but in Miami’s defense, he’s playing a lot of shallow zone coverage. That leads to him allowing a lot of catches, even if he’s right there to make the stop. 

Finding Stable Linebacker Play is Hard 

We have to give some credit to former general manager Chris Grier because he hit a home run with Brooks and center Aaron Brewer during the 2024 free agency cycle. 

Linebacker play has become highly volatile from year to year, and the Dolphins have been the victim of that. Jerome Baker’s career was a roller-coaster ride, and David Long Jr. went from a defensive standout in 2023 to being cut from the team halfway through 2024. 

Even Brooks’ running mate, Tyrel Dodson, is an excellent example. The Seahawks cut him halfway through last season, and he’s found a home in Miami as a starter. 

Brooks has put out two straight years of good tape, and he was probably a little underrated coming from Seattle. He’s just 28, too, so Miami could give him a small extension without worrying about a drastic drop in his play.