The start of the 2026 NFL league year, and with it the start of free agency, is less than two weeks away. When 4 p.m. Eastern on March 13 arrives, player contracts will roll over to their next year and players with no time remaining on their current deal will be free to sign with new teams. Free agency is one of the busiest times of the year for front offices around the league, and a lot of planning and decision making has to be done before signings even begin.<\/p>\n
Right now, the Miami Dolphins, like every team around the league, are trying to work out deals with players that are set to hit the free agency market. Miami has 35 players slotted to hit free agency<\/a> this offseason, and decisions on whether to re-sign or franchise-tag them have to be made, or they may allow them to walk away. Each year, we take a look at the Dolphins\u2019 soon-to-be free agents and give you a chance to weigh in on what the team should do.<\/p>\n This is part five in this year\u2019s series, following looks at cornerback Kader Kohou<\/a>, linebacker Quinton Bell<\/a>, tight end Darren Waller<\/a>, and wide receiver Dee Eskridge<\/a>. Heading back to the defensive side of the ball, we turn to defensive back Elijah Campbell.<\/p>\n I have included an embed from X, giving you a chance to vote on what you think the Dolphins should do. Feel free to also head into the comments to discuss Miami\u2019s options with Eskridge.<\/p>\n Position: Safety\/Cornerback<\/p>\n Age (when season begins): 32<\/p>\n College: Northern Iowa (Iowa Western, Northern Illinois)<\/p>\n Cleveland Browns (2018 training camp)New York Jets (2020)Miami Dolphins (2021-2025)<\/p>\n Note: Campbell was released by the Browns prior to the start of the 2018 regular season. He spent 2019 and 2020 with the AAF and XFL, respectively, before spending most of the 2020 season on the Jets\u2019 practice squad.<\/p>\n Pro Bowl, All-Pro, Awards: None<\/p>\n Campbell seems to be an annual member of the Dolphins\u2019 expiring contracts list. After being claimed off waivers from the Jets at the end of the 2021 preseason, Campbell was an exclusive rights free agent with Miami in the 2022 and 2023 offseasons. In 2024, he returned to the team on a one-year contract, then signed another one-year deal with the Dolphins ahead of last year.<\/p>\n Similar to how he has been used in previous years, Campbell was a rotational defensive player for Miami in 2025, working both as a safety and as a cornerback. He appeared in 10 games, recording five tackles. He only played 16 defensive snaps this year, his fewest since his first year in Miami when he was exclusively a special teams player. He did play in 183 special teams snaps this year, the fifth-most on the team.<\/p>\n Campbell\u2019s role has not changed over the past several seasons, and there is no reason to think it would in 2026. If he were to return to the Dolphins, he would likely be slotted as a reserve safety who could play cornerback if needed, while providing a special teams presence throughout the season.<\/p>\n