‘Same guy he was in 2020.’ Zach Sieler, Miami Dolphins reach three-year extension
Finally the big guy got paid.
The Miami Dolphins and defensive tackle Zach Sieler reached a three-year extension worth up to $67.75 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Approximately $44 million is guaranteed. He’ll be signed with the Dolphins through 2029.
Sieler’s extension comes after back-to-back double-digit sack seasons. His 20 sacks since 2023 rank fourth among all defensive lineman. From being a Division II standout to being cut twice to now the Dolphins’ highest-paid defensive player, Sieler’s journey is remarkable to say the least.
“Just because you’re from somewhere that no one knows the name of or where you’re on the map doesn’t mean you can’t make it,” Sieler said Monday. Dressed in a giant, aqua cowboy hat and brown cowboy boots, Sieler was in the media room surrounded by his two-year-old son, Stetson, and wife, Hannah. “You don’t have to be the big name guy from day one to make an impact.”
The star defensive tackle had two-years left on his deal that was one of the best bargains across the league. Sieler was initially scheduled to make $7.8 million if he suited up for all 17 games this season. Now, the 29-year-old will receive $34 million over the next two years.
“This guy is the same guy he was in 2020 when I met him living in an RV fighting to be the fifth D-lineman, and I don’t think he’s ever going to change,” Dolphins defensive line coach Austin Clarke said Monday.
Sieler’s leadership amid the ongoing contract talks spoke volumes. At a time when NFL stars have opted to sit out of training camp during similar situations, Sieler didn’t miss a day.
“Everyone’s decision is their own path, their journey,” Sieler said of his decision to attend training camp in late July. “End of the day, I’m going to be me. It’s what’s gotten me here to this point, what’s gotten me here so far and that’s what I’m going to do every day.”
A seventh-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2018, Sieler joined the Dolphins after being waived in 2019. He famously inhabited a RV hitched to the back of his pickup truck during his first two seasons in Miami.
“I would love to be here back then,” Sieler said. “It was always a dream of mine, always a goal of mine. But I would have never even known where to begin.”
Sieler credited a host of people — Clarke, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, etc. — for helping him get “to this point.”
“It’s been a long journey,” Sieler said. “If you told me five years ago that this is the spoit I’m going to be in, I’d been scared to death but I’d be ready for it.”
Sieler became a full-time starter in 2022. He had his breakout season the following year with 10 sacks, 11 tackles for loss and a pick-six. The former Ferris State standout recorded another 10 sacks in 2024 to go along with one interception and a forced fumble. That same year, Sieler was also named captain for the first time in his career.
“I think God has put myself and my wife here in this situation to be able to help young guys,” Sieler said at the time. “I’ve been here for five years, in the league for seven. To be able to guide and lead by example and vocal hopefully and be able to set the tone each week, I think that’s a big thing. Obviously, you can’t lead without being the front-runner and setting the pace, setting the tone.”
With Sieler now locked down until 2029, the Dolphins have seemingly cemented their defensive tackle duo for the future following their first-round selection of Kenneth Grant in the 2025 NFL Draft. Although their journies to South Florida have certainly differed, Grant now has the opportunity to learn under one of the best at their respective positions.
“He’s challenging me in everything – on the field, off the field,” Grant said in late July, later calling Sieler “one of the top dawgs in this league” who’s “doing everything the right way. I’m just trying to follow his path.”
This story was originally published August 3, 2025 at 7:33 PM.
