Why Dolphins CB JuJu Brents’ main goal in 2026 is to be ‘available’
The 2025 season did not end the way that JuJu Brents wanted.
For the third time in as many years, the Miami Dolphins cornerback’s 2025 season ended in the worst way imaginable: a foot injury. The former second-round pick had played well in his two starts, helping the Dolphins defeat the Bills and end Buffalo’s seven-game win streak before eventually exiting the following Week 11 game against the Washington Commanders.
Every year, however, brings new opportunity and despite the change in coaching staff, Brents finds himself in favor with the new regime. And with 2026 being his last year under contract, the cornerback certainly has a lot to prove. Brents, however, appears just focused on what he can control.
“I really haven’t thought about it,” Brents said Wednesday afternoon about his looming free agency. “For me, it’s just being available for my team. I’ve had a lot of adversity, but I’m just looking at it as an opportunity to be able to grow through that adversity. So even last year, when I got hurt, I ain’t put my head down. I had a goal: for me to come out here and be ready by Phase 3 of [organized training activities]. I came out here, and I was ready for Phase 1.
“It’s just me being intentional every single day, and the rest will take care of itself when it comes.”
The most obvious concern is availability. Since the Indianapolis Colts took him with the No. 44 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Brents has appeared in just 18 games. He had his rookie season cut short with hamstring and quadriceps injuries. A torn MCL and meniscus in his knee limited him to just two games in 2024.
Despite the extensive injury history, it’s obvious why he’s still in the NFL. He has all the physical traits that teams covet from cornerbacks — long arms, good size, speed – and as evinced by last year’s brief sample size (14 total tackles, one pass deflection and a fumble recovery) he could certainly carve out a starting role as an outside cornerback.
“It’s great for every for everybody top down,” Brents said. “I feel like every single day, we understand that it’s a competition and it’s ultimately just getting us a lot better. We’re just taking it head on man, and we all just at the end of the day we’re growing, getting each other better, but it definitely is, you know, just it’s room for everybody to improve. And if you want you got to go, take it.”
Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley, for one, has already been effusive in his praise of Brents.
“We’ll keep an eye on him, but knock on wood, he’s done a really nice job,” Hafley said. “And you’re right, he’s got great length. He’s got good feet for his size. He’s athletic. He can play the ball. When you go back, and you watch his tape when he was healthy, he was doing a really nice job. I’m very excited about where he’s at. He’s extremely competitive. He’s another guy [that] he’s done everything we asked him to do, so he needs to stay on that as we get ready to break when we’re done and come into training camp in good shape.”
Such compliments hold even more weight considering Hafley got his start as a defensive backs coach. Brents noted that his head coach has already been “very involved” in his room.
“He’s a guru,” Brents said. “When we first start our individual DB drills, he’s over there giving us little tips as far as you being inside your frame with your breaks, your feet. He’s just being really intentional so it’s good having a head coach who’s a defensive-minded type of guy.”
Sure, the youth of the cornerback room could emerge as an issue. As of this writing, only Marco Wilson, a six-year veteran, has the most experience. The Dolphins are scheduled to face their fair share of elite receivers including the Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson, the Cincinnati Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase and the Detroit Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown.
That, however, doesn’t matter to Brents.
“A lot of people probably going to look over us,” Brents said. “We ain’t got no established guys yet, but I promise you: we got some dogs 100. We got some dogs in that back end. For us, the sky’s the limit. We just got to stay down.”
This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 3:35 PM.
