Like ‘an old married couple’: How Brooks and Dodson have buoyed Dolphins defense
It was natural to wonder about the health of the partnership between Dolphins inside linebackers Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dodson after Terron Armstead revealed, in August, that they had a physical altercation during a joint training camp practice with the Chicago Bears.
Turns out, that relationship has only strengthened, and they’re now on pace to finish the season as the NFL’s most prodigious tackle-producing tandem, provided Brooks can play Sunday at New England (4:25 p.m., Fox).
Brooks, who left Sunday’s win against Tampa Bay with a hamstring injury, said he’s feeling better and “my goal is to do the most that I can to get myself healed up and ready to play.” But the NFL’s leading tackler said he’s not yet sure if he will be able to play.
On the field, Brooks and Dodson had their fingerprints all over a seven-game midseason defensive turnaround. Off the field, they have formed a tight bond, one that they say allows them to be brutally blunt with each other.
“I know I’ve used the same analogy as two brothers,” Dolphins inside linebackers coach Joe Barry, referring to the term that Brooks and Dodson use to describe their relationship.
“Now instead of brothers, they’re like an old married couple. They know each other and know how to push each other’s buttons. It’s all out of respect. They respect each other’s games. They know each other now after playing half a season together. They know each other to another level. It’s a cool relationship.”
It was brutal bluntness that led to their altercation on that August day in Lake Forest, Illinois.
Brooks approached Dodson during the joint practice with the Bears because, in his view, Dodson wasn’t upholding his usual standard in a team period.
“That was part of what the scuffle was about, knowing his abilities to do everything out there on the football field,” Brooks said in August. “Iron sharpening iron, trying to get the best out of each other.”
They both apologized to the team in the aftermath.
When they hold each other accountable now, it’s done outside of public view.
“You guys saw it in training camp; we hold each other to a standard that no one understands,” Dodson said recently. “We made a pact early in OTAs that we are going to do that. We’ve done that every game.”
But they do it with that understanding that no grudges will fester, that nothing will be perceived as an attack on their character.
“I love JB,” Dodson said. “I have an older brother, but he’s like the football brother I’ve never had. I hope I get to play next to him for a while.”
Brooks said “there’s a real brotherhood between him and I. In my opinion, we’re like-minded in the way we approach work and our preparation. That’s what I like most about him; he’s just as hungry as I am. We see eye to eye on a lot of things we’re trying to get done. I just love the fact he loves ball.”
One example of how holding each other accountable now manifests itself: In the meeting room, “they share thoughts on each other’s game,” linebacker KJ Britt said. “If they see a play they don’t like, [they say something].”
Both Brooks and Dodson are under contract next season and both, particularly Brooks, have made a strong case to remain at the epicenter of this Dolphins defense in 2026.
Brooks’ 174 tackles lead the league; Las Vegas’ Devin White is second at 168. He’s not going to set the Dolphins’ tackle record — an unfathomable 217 by Steve Towle in a 14-game season in 1976 — and his Pro Football Focus coverage metrics aren’t very good, but his full body of work has been well above average, featuring 13 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
“He’s the best linebacker in the league,” defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said. “He’s the heartbeat of this football team, and everything you want and expect out of an inside linebacker, he is.”
Dodson is 20th in the NFL in tackles with 121; he has five sacks, 10 tackles for loss, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Though Dodson’s play can be uneven at times, he’s around the ball a lot and the Dolphins love how prepared he is, including coming up with a defensive call (when the headset communication broke down) on Minkah Fitzpatrick’s “pick two” to seal the win against New Orleans.
“He is an incredibly instinctual player,” Barry said of Dodson. “He has great feel for the game. He is the voice piece of our defense. It’s been neat to see him and take ownership in that role.”
Pro Football Focus ranks Brooks ninth among 87 inside linebackers and Dodson 55th.
How do their skills complement each other?
“They play off each other really well,” Barry said. “Jordyn can do anything. Jordyn just wants to go out and play. He wants to [see] the ball and go out and tackle people. The way Tyrel is built really allows JB to do that. He handles the [defensive] calls, communication, checks. Those traits really play well off each other. They allow them to be the best version of themselves.”
Their intimate knowledge of each other’s games helps.
“You play a certain amount of snaps together, you learn to see how this guy plays, how he’s going to fit this gap and where he’s going to be in coverage,” Brooks said. “We have a great feel of where each other is going to be on the field. That chemistry is blooming right now.”
Skeptics could say that their tackle numbers are inflated a bit because of the shortcomings of the Dolphins’ young defensive linemen, especially during the first half of the season.
But there’s no disputing their productivity, and nobody should summarily dismiss a combined 295 tackles by two players. Defensively, they’re as big a reason as any why Miami dramatically improved its defense for seven weeks before unraveling in the second half against Pittsburgh and Dec. 22 against Cincinnati, before rebounding against Tampa Bay.
This and that
Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (calf), linebacker Chop Robinson (concussion protocol) and receiver Jaylen Waddle (rib) are also dealing with injuries and were not participating in the portion of practice open to reporters. Brooks was working on the side.
This story was originally published December 31, 2025 at 3:48 PM.
