Dolphins' next move after Zach Sieler extension is painfully obvious

Zach Sieler is now the highest-paid defensive player on the Miami Dolphins roster, but now we have to ask, who is going to be the next player to get paid?

Under normal conditions, locking up Jaelan Phillips would make the most sense, but his injury history is enough of a concern for the Dolphins to wait until next offseason. There are not many players who universally deserve a new contract.

If there is one player who might deserve to have his contract re-worked, it would have to be linebacker Jordyn Brooks, and a previous suggestion on how to reward Sieler could be an option for Brooks as well.

Jordyn Brooks is the only remaining player the Miami Dolphins could look to extend early

If the Dolphins want to continue investing in players who are team-first with a leadership mentality, Brooks would make a lot of sense. His contract runs through 2028, technically. The final two years of the deal are voidable, but the rub here is that he has no more guaranteed money beyond this season.

Brooks will earn a $7.8 million base salary in 2026 and will count $11.05 million in cap space. There is no financial benefit to releasing him after this season, as the dead money and savings are exactly the same per OverTheCap.com.

Miami hasn't been spending like they have in the past, and extending Brooks now, or even reworking the deal to give him security, probably isn't going to happen. Miami could see how the season plays out before making a decision, much in the same way it must do with Phillips.

Brooks has been a steal for the Dolphins, and the expectations are pretty high this year, but those expectations shouldn't be enough to warrant a new deal, not yet.

Regarding the other players on the roster, the Dolphins have either already taken care of them financially or they have not reached a point in their career where they need to have their contracts addressed.