Blake Ferguson said goodbye to South Florida on Sunday after appearing in 72 games over five seasons as the Miami Dolphins' long-snapper. A sixth-round pick in 2020, he was released Thursday as part of four roster moves.
“Eternally grateful for my time in South Florida,” Ferguson wrote on Instagram. “Excited for the next opportunity.”
Ferguson played five games last season before Miami placed him on the reserve/non-football illness list in October. It was the first time he had missed a game in his five-year career.
Ferguson, who won a national championship at LSU, was one of the longest-tenured Dolphins alongside fellow 2020 draft picks Tua Tagovailoa and Austin Jackson, behind only fellow special-teams ace Jason Sanders, a 2018 seventh-round pick.
“Good luck brother!” Sanders wrote on Ferguson’s social media post.
Ferguson logged eight tackles and a fumble recovery while tracking down returners on special teams.
“Great things to come,” added Justin Bethel, a fellow special-teamer who played with Ferguson in 2022 and 2023.
Miami’s plan for 2025
After three transactions in three days, Joe Cardona is now the front-runner for the role as the only long snapper on the roster. The former Patriot has played in 160 games since being selected in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Miami signed Cardona on Friday and released rookie free agent Kneeland Hibbett on Saturday. A walk-on long snapper at Alabama, Hibbett was a four-year starter and a semifinalist for the Mannelly Award, presented annually to the top long-snapper in the nation.
The Dolphins are restructuring their special teams this offseason, moving on from Danny Crossman as coordinator after five seasons. Craig Aukerman was signed as special teams coordinator after holding the same position with the Tennessee Titans from 2018 through 2023.
Miami didn’t bring in anyone to challenge Sanders as the team’s kicker entering his eighth season, but the same can’t be said for punter Jake Bailey. The Dolphins added Ryan Stonehouse, a 2022 second-team All-Pro who set an NFL record for average yards per punt in 2022 and matched it in 2023. Stonehouse is also familiar with Aukerman, having played under him for two seasons in Tennessee.
