Jordyn Brooks becomes second Dolphins player to lead NFL in tackles
Miami Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks entered an elite group of NFL defenders when he finished the 2026 season as the NFL’s leading tackler.
Brooks, who finished Sunday’s 38-10 loss to the New England Patriots with nine tackles, finished the season with 183, which edged out Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Devin White for first place.
White finished the season with 173 tackles, 10 behind Brooks, who came into the season finale with a six tackle lead.
Brooks becomes the second Dolphins player to lead the NFL in tackling since the league began taking official stats on tackles.
The last Dolphins player to lead the NFL in tackles was Hall of Famer Zach Thomas, who did so in 1994.
Brooks’ 183 stops also tied his career high which he set in 2021 with Seattle, a season where he finished the year second in tackling in the NFL, finished eight tackles behind Atlanta’s Foyesade Oluokun.
After the game Brooks’ defensive teammates and position coach, Joe Barry, celebrated his accomplishment, praising the leader of 2025 Dolphins.
What makes Brooks’ accomplishment even more impressive is the fact he was battling injuries in the final month of the season. The most recent was a hamstring injury he suffered in Miami’s 20-17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
While this season hasn’t gone the way Brooks, or any Dolphins player or coaches had hoped, the player the Dolphins signed to a three-year, $26.2 million deal before the 2024 season admits he has learned a ton about himself.
Last season, teammates and coaches joked that Brooks barely said 20 words to anyone in the building. He was quiet. Observant, but reserved.
This season Brooks, who is slotted to earn just under $8.4 million from the Dolphins in 2026, has become the unquestioned alpha of Miami’s team.
In fact, everyone associated with this year’s team will acknowledge that the Dolphins are “his team,” and he carries himself with that aura.
“I don’t think the first six months he talked,” linebacker coach Joe Barry said last week. “Now he’s the voice of our team. He has become an elite player, and an elite leader.”
Brooks is one of two players in the NFL to have recorded 100-plus tackles and three sacks in each of the last three seasons, with Tampa Bay’s Lavonte David being his only peer.
Brooks is one of seven active players to post 100 tackles in five or more consecutive seasons, and the first Dolphins to total 100 tackles in back-to-back seasons since Jerome Baker in 2019 and 2020.
He became the fifth player since 2000 to reach 800 tackles in the first six seasons of his NFL career, joining Roquan Smith, Patrick Willis, Luke Kuechly and Oluokun.
“Consistent. A man of God. A great professional. On the field I’ve seen him blossom. His whole game has improved. His tenacity is what he brings to the game,” fellow inside linebacker Tyrel Dodson said. “He’s a true professional.”
