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The Chargers extended a former Dolphins player
Following their second consecutive season below .500, the Miami Dolphins decided that major changes needed to be made to the organization. The team fired general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel. They then hired Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley to take their place in the organization. Now, both men will be tasked with making some tough choices regarding the Dolphins roster.
Each year, the team must figure out its salary cap situation, which means likely cutting some fan favorites. The biggest example of this is Miami being expected to release superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Despite being selected for All-Pro honors in his first two seasons with the Dolphins, Hill has since failed to reach 1,000 yards and has suffered a dislocated knee injury. With a team that is not on the verge of contention, Hill’s price point is likely not worth it for the Dolphins.
Occasionally, cutting players comes back to bite you, and now a clear example of this has occurred with an AFC opponent.
Former Miami Dolphins Player Signs Extension with Chargers
After starting 36 NFL games, the Miami Dolphins signed defensive lineman Teair Tart to a one-year deal ahead of the 2024 season.That offseason, the Dolphins lost defensive line starters Christian Wilkins and Raekwon Davis. Upon signing, Tart was expected to compete for a starting job. However, that never materialized in Miami as he was relegated to second-string on the team’s depth chart.
After four months with the team, the Dolphins released Tart without him having played a single preseason or regular season snap. Two days later, Tart signed with the Chargers. Following the season, he signed another one-year deal with Los Angeles. Now, with Tart set to hit free agency yet again, his agent announced that he signed a three-year $37.5 million contract to remain with the Chargers.
Tart earned that contract this season, as Pro Football Focus had him graded as a top-10 run defender in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Dolphins utilized a first-round pick on defensive lineman Kenneth Grant in the 2025 NFL Draft to get production out of that position. Grant was graded by PFF as the 112th interior defensive lineman against the run this season. Of course, it’s too early to make a declaration as to whether the Grant selection was the right one or not, but after two seasons, it is safe to say releasing Tart was a mistake.
Dolphins Upcoming Free Agents
As the Chargers had with Tart, the Dolphins will now have to make key decisions on upcoming free agents. Starting cornerbacks Jack Jones and Rasul Douglas are both set to be free agents after the season, and there have been no reports on the team approaching them about a contract offer.
Darren Waller and Greg Dulcich gave the Dolphins some bright spots during the season but are both set to be free agents. Waller also said he was yet to decide if he was retiring or planning to play another season.He did say that if he were to play, he would like it to be in Miami; however, that was prior to the Dolphins firing their coaching staff.
Jose Esquer Jose Esquer is a Mexican-American sportswriter and communications student based in San Diego, CA. His work spans football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. He has written for platforms like RotoWire and DolphinsTalk. You can find him on Twitter/X @JEsquer8, usually talking Dolphins, world football, or both. More about Jose Esquer
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