MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- The Miami Dolphins are releasing linebacker Tyrel Dodson, a source confirmed to ESPN on Sunday, after two seasons with the team.
The Dolphins claimed Dodson off waivers midway through the 2024 season; in just eight games, Dodson recorded a team-high three interceptions. Miami signed him to a two-year contract the following offseason, and he responded with a career-high 129 tackles in 2025.
But the Dolphins spent a second-round pick on linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, and first-year general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan wasted no time in describing the team's plans for the former Texas Tech star.
"He's a leader. He's a green dot guy," Sullivan said on draft night. "He'll call the defense in time, and I think he'll fit really well in the room with [Jordyn] Brooks and [Dodson] and he'd be a great addition to the Miami Dolphins.
"Iron sharpens iron, you know what I mean? 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."