Dolphins Lose Out on Chance to Sign Former First Round Pick Free Agent

Fans of the Miami Dolphins were pleading with them to sign Noah Fant. But alas, the Dolphins did not have enough of an interest to outbid the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Dolphins passed on Fant, who was recently released by the Seattle Seahawks, for recently unretired Darren Waller, much to the chagrin of their fans.

Waller is about to enter his ninth NFL season but last played for the New York Giants in 2023. He came off the couch when the Dolphins signed him after they traded away 2024 Pro Bowler Jonnu Smith as part of the deal that sent Jalen Ramsey to the Pittsburgh Steelers — and subsequently brought Minkah Fitzpatrick back to Miami.

Still, a soon-to-be-33-year-old manning an important position in a pivotal year — after the Dolphins cratered offensively a season ago — wasn’t exactly what Fins fans were hoping for.

Why Did The Dolphins Not Sign Noah Fant?

In fairness to Miami GM Chris Grier, Fant was not a perfect fit for the Dolphins. The Fins have a salary-cap crisis, and Fant is coming off a 2024 where he had just one receiving touchdown — in an offense that threw the most of any in the NFL.

The 6-4, 249-pound tight end finished as the 22nd-highest-graded tight end, per Pro Football Focus, earning a 66 grade. His 70.2 grade for receiving was 21st — and receiving is primarily his game.

Still, for those looking to commiserate with Miami working out Fant and letting him slip away, Brian Miller of Phin Phanatic is right there with you. He, like many of you, is not enthused by Waller and journeyman veteran tight end Pharoah Brown, who has just 72 catches for 751 yards and three touchdowns in his seven-season, 87-game NFL Career.

“The Dolphins have not fully addressed their tight end room in several years,” Miller wrote. “Fant would have immediately improved the Dolphins’ offense, filled a need at the position, and likely would have had similar production to Smith if Miami needed him to.”

“Instead, the Dolphins will stick with Brown, Waller, and one of the undrafted players on their roster.

Were The Dolphins Smart Not To Sign Noah Fant?

Ironically, Miller ultimately came around on Grier’s decision to pass on Fant, mainly due to the events of the past week.

The Dolphins cornerback position is already thin after they traded Ramsey, but cornerback Kader Kohou went down with a catastrophic knee injury, and off-season signing and safety Ashtyn Davis injured his foot.

“The Dolphins should have been extremely grateful that Fant fell into their laps, but the last week of practice has proven to be a nightmare with the secondary,” Miller wrote. “Miami lost Kader Kohou for the season, and Ashtyn Davis will miss an unspecified amount of time due to a likely foot issue.”

Those injuries, and the $7-or-so million Miami has in cap space, prove Grier was correct to choose roster flexibility over another offensive weapon.

“Fant was a luxury the Dolphins could afford,” Miller wrote. “But with the problems in the secondary, the money they have available to spend needs to be earmarked for injuries. Fant would have helped, but ultimately, fixing a unit Miami does not prioritize was always going to be a big ask of Chris Grier.”