‘Iron sharpens iron.’ What to make of the Jacob Rodriguez vs. Tyrel Dodson debate
The Miami Dolphins have a linebacker problem.
And no, it has nothing to do with the status of Jordyn Brooks’ extension.
Instead, the conundrum centers around what to do with Tyrel Dodson and the newly drafted Jacob Rodriguez. Only one can start — and as much as coach Jeff Hafley has tried to downplay the position battle, the writing is on the wall.
“They’re just competing to play linebacker, and we’ll put the best linebackers on the field, whether we have two in the game at a time, three in the game at a time or some different packages,” Hafley said. “I think there’s competition amongst all those guys, but I wouldn’t call it like a battle for the green dot. We’ve mixed around who’s wore the green dot in practice.”
That Miami drafted Rodriguez to eventually replace Dodson was abundantly obvious. The former just so happened to be the best linebacker in college football in 2025 and Dodson, despite coming off of a 100-tackle season, has one-year left on his deal. Throw in that competition has become the hallmark of this regime and the succession plan becomes even more clear.
“Iron sharpens iron, you know what I mean?” general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said. “And anybody in this building that is afraid of competition or doesn’t welcome it or embrace it shouldn’t be here. That’s where we are. It’s pretty simple.”
What remains a bit muddied, however, is who the coaching staff favors. Fans might be quick to immediately pencil in Rodriguez as the starter, yet this totally overlooks Dodson’s competitiveness.
“I’m still here, why would it be a disadvantage?” Dodson responded when asked if he considers himself in an unfavorable situation considering the new regime drafted a trio of linebackers. “It’d be a disadvantage if I was shipped off somewhere and not willing to compete. I’m here another year in the league, undrafted man. I’m just here fellowshipping with my guys and just fitting in how I get in.”
Also: contrary to popular belief, the green dot isn’t the easiest task in the world. Brooks, in the past, didn’t want the responsibility as he preferred to just go out and play rather than also worry about everyone else. Coach Jeff Hafley, however, has taken a bit of different approach to the green dot as of lately.
“When I was in Green Bay, in practice, truthfully, I had the safeties in the green dot, I’ve had all the linebackers in green dot because I want them to hear how the call comes in so they can start training for that,” Hafley said. “I think the misnomer is, ‘oh, he won’t be able to handle the green dot, this guy can’t handle the green dot.’ I don’t believe in that. I believe you can teach guys and over time train them all so if they have to call it, they have to call it. So when we get into training camp, we’ll figure all that out.”
That’s not to say it’s an impossible task for a rookie. In fact, Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger not only wore the green dot in 2025 but was eventually rewarded with Defensive Rookie of the Year honors for his efforts. It’s not a stretch to say that Schwesigner, who was recently named No. 93 on the NFL Top 100 list, benefited greatly from his plethora of playing time.
Similarly, Sullivan and Hafley appear to have favorable view about Rodriguez’s ability to wear the green dot.
“He’s a leader,” Sullivan said after selecting Rodriguez. “He’s a green-dot guy. He’ll call the defense in time, and I think he’ll fit really well in the room with Brooks and ‘T. Dot’”
Added Hafley: “Jacob is learning. Now in college, you actually have the helmet-to-helmet communication, which is nice because it’s not the first time that they’re doing it, but it will be good eventually to hear my voice and how I call it in.”
Of course these are champagne problems. Any team would love to have an All-Pro linebacker in Brooks to go along with another 100-tackle player and a promising rookie.
That said, rookies — if not immediately ready — can be a detriment to any team. Just look at how the trio of rookie defensive linemen fared for the Dolphins in the early part of the 2025 season. If Rodriguez looks the better and outplays Dodson, let him play but if he doesn’t, there’s no harm in letting him learn the ropes from two experienced veterans.
