Kelly: Is a contract extension for Jordyn Brooks absolutely necessary? | Opinion
Here are three examples of who Jordyn Brooks is as a man, leader, football player and teammate.
The first occurred on Thanksgiving Day of the 2024 season. The Miami Dolphins embarrassed the franchise the way they played in a 30-17 loss in Green Bay to the Packers, and after the game Brooks, a newcomer to the team, called out his teammates for being “soft,” and letting the cold weather impact Miami’s performance.
The Dolphins’ starting inside linebacker never backed off that claim, and never apologized for it either.
The second occurred last November when a 2-7 Dolphins team returned to their locker room and discovered the Pop-A-Shot arcade basketball hoop machine, and a second basketball rim were removed from the player’s locker room.
The basketball hoops were so popular players couldn’t pass by them without taking shots, and Brooks felt they were an unnecessary distraction to a losing team, so he banished them.
Whoever didn’t like it was sent to talk to Brooks. The six-year veteran established himself as the team’s alpha male in a testosterone-fueled environment.
The third example occurred on draft night a few months ago when the Dolphins selected linebacker Jacob Rodriguez in the second round.
As a fellow Texas Tech alumnus, Rodriguez had become one of Brooks’ favorite football players, and was so excited he was going to become his teammate, his understudy, Brooks got in his car and drove to the team facility to congratulate, if not thank the team’s coaches and executives in person.
That’s how alpha leaders operate, which is why Brooks has carved out such an important lane for himself in Miami with his on-field play, which allowed him to lead the NFL in tackles last season, and on and off-field leadership.
To no one’s surprise, Brooks wants to be compensated like someone who is filling those massive roles, and he’s the last matter of business South Florida’s NFL franchise has to address this offseason.
Brooks and his camp are likely pushing for a contract in the neighborhood of the three-year, $54 million extension the Houston Texans gave Azeez Al-Shaair this past May, which features $45 million in guaranteed money, with $24.7 million of it being fully guaranteed.
The Dolphins already got extensions done for Pro Bowl tailback De’Von Achane and center Aaron Brewer this offseason, and if we’re being honest about those terms, both got management-friendly deals that were win-wins for both sides.
Achane’s locked up for the next five seasons at a total value of $70 million, but only the first three years, which are valued at $37 million, are realistic unless Miami retouches the deal to create cap space in the coming seasons.
As long as Achane performs like a top-10 tailback, his $15.4 million-a-season salary in 2028 and 2029 is safe. But if he’s not, Achane will likely get shaken down, just like most other NFL players as they age.
Brewer received a four-year deal that’s worth a max value of $67 million, but $31 million is guaranteed during the first two seasons.
If Brewer remains one of the NFL’s top centers, he will likely reach the 2028 season of his new deal, which will pay him $15.5 million in base salary and bonuses. And it’s also possible the Dolphins will rework his deal to create cap space in the coming seasons, potentially extending that business relationship.
The entirety of NFL contracts are rarely ever honored when the guaranteed money portion of the deal expires, unless the player’s value exceeds that season’s salary.
Brooks and Brewer were/are a perfect example of that since they each joined the Dolphins on three-year deals that paid them $8 million to $9 million a season. This was supposed to be the final season of those free agent contracts, but the goal is to always get extended before playing that final year.
And that’s the spot Brooks, who is slated to make just less than $8.4 million this season in base salary and bonuses, finds himself in.
The major question we will soon discover is the lengths he’s willing to go to get a new deal.
Some players would conduct a hold-in, reporting to camp to avoid the NFL’s harsh fines, but limit their practice participation. Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard took that approach until his deal got reworked.
Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins started camp with the Dolphins in 2024, but shut it down before the exhibition season began. Wilkins didn’t get an extension done but returned to practice the week before the regular season when negotiations were cut off.
Those are just two examples of players forcing the issue with the Dolphins.
But anyone who knows Brooks well enough knows that’s not his style.
“For me, I know I need to get better. That’s why I show up. I never want to give the wrong message to my teammates,” Brooks said earlier this summer. “I play with these guys, go to battle with them, so I want them to know I’m here no matter what.”
Let’s hope Brooks isn’t put in a situation where he has to force the issue with Dolphins management because the last thing this franchise needs to do is turn off, if not run off more good players, and the few impactful leaders they have.
