Dolphins sign veteran cornerback Rasul Douglas
The Dolphins augmented one of the league’s least accomplished cornerback units on Tuesday by agreeing to terms with veteran Rasul Douglas, who has 19 interceptions and 80 starts over nine seasons. The deal was not announced but confirmed by a league source.
Miami made two previous offers to Douglas that were rejected, one in early May and another before training camp. This offer, for one year and $3 million, was nearly identical to the previous offers.
Douglas, who will turn 31 on Friday, visited the Dolphins and Seattle earlier this offseason.
Douglas, who stands 6-2, started 15 games for the Bills last season but allowed 72 percent of passes thrown in his area to be caught, with a poor 122 passer rating in his coverage area. He missed two late-season games with a back injury.
But he was very good in 2023 for Green Bay and Buffalo, producing five interceptions, three fumble recoveries, one sack, and a career-high two touchdowns in 16 games and 15 starts, despite playing part of the season with a torn MCL. Pro Football Focus rated him 12th among all cornerbacks that season.
Douglas split that 2023 season between two teams; on Halloween that year, Green Bay traded Douglas a fifth-round pick to Buffalo for a third-round pick. The trade happened 19 months after the Packers gave him a three-year, $21 million extension.
The Dolphins hope Douglas more resembles the 2023 player than the 2024 version.
Douglas, who twice has been named Defensive Player of the Week (in each conference), had some other good years, too, for Philadelphia, Carolina and Green Bay, and has three career interception returns for touchdowns.
Douglas, whose signing was not announced Tuesday, joins Storm Duck and Jason Marshall Jr. as centerpieces in the Dolphins’ revamped cornerback room. The other cornerbacks who made the initial 53-man roster: Cam Smith, Isaiah Johnson, Ethan Bonner (who is nursing a hamstring injury) and Jack Jones.
The Dolphins released cornerbacks Kendall Sheffield, BJ Adams, Cornell Armstrong, Mike Hilton, Cameron Dantzler and Ethan Robinson.
Miami will begin the season without any of its top three cornerbacks from last season. Jalen Ramsey was dealt to Pittsburgh after asking for a trade. Kendall Fuller was released and is still looking for work. Kader Kohou sustained a knee injury in training camp and landed on season-ending injured reserve.
The Dolphins lost veteran cornerback Artie Burns to a season-ending knee injury on the first day of training camp.
The Dolphins opted for Douglas instead of free agents Asante Samuel Jr. (who is working his way back from a neck injury), James Bradberry (working his way back from last summer’s torn Achilles) and Miami resident Stephon Gilmore. Miami had cursory contact with Samuel’s representation but never strongly pursued him or invited him for a visit.
The Dolphins also reached out to veteran cornerback Jaire Alexander earlier this offseason but never made an offer. Alexander, who has had durability issues, signed with Baltimore and has been dealing with another injury in preseason.
This story was originally published August 26, 2025 at 8:39 AM.
