Tyrel Dodson

Career StatsB

Year	Team	GP	Tkl	Sacks	INT
Career		92	379	11.5	4
2025		16	129	5.0	1
2024		17	107	2.0	3
2023		17

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Tyrel Dodson's $3.125M deal lands at an A- Contract Value Index, signaling a measured outcome for Miami. The linebacker's 2025 season produced 129 tackles, 5 sacks, and 1 interception across 16 games—solid depth-level production that justifies a backup-caliber salary rather than overinvestment in his services. At $3.125M annually on a two-year deal, Dodson occupies the modest end of the linebacker market, well-positioned for a capable reserve who still contributes on an every-down basis without demanding premium dollars. As a 27-year-old six-year veteran, he's neither an ascending prospect nor a declining star; his modest career totals of 11.5 sacks and 4 interceptions over six seasons reflect his realistic standing as a reliable depth piece rather than a franchise centerpiece. Miami's recent linebacker signings—adding Jacob Rodriguez and Trey Moore to the rotation—validate the club's view of Dodson as a veteran presence within a crowded depth chart, and his professionalism in welcoming that competition has earned genuine goodwill in local coverage despite the clear implication that younger talent will eventually supersede him. The two-year term carries minimal downside risk; if Dodson's role shrinks, his modest cap hit makes him easy to move or release without significant salary consequences.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the A band — a quick read on where Tyrel's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Tyrel Dodson has quietly developed into one of Miami's most reliable defensive pieces, a sixth-year linebacker who's earned his starting role through consistency rather than draft pedigree. After grading out at a C+ in 2023, he's posted back-to-back B seasons, signaling genuine upward trajectory. Among starting linebackers league-wide, Dodson sits comfortably in the upper-middle tier — productive, dependable, and increasingly impactful. His tackle production is the headliner: 8.06 tackles per game dwarfs the NFL average of 2.19 and clears the elite threshold of 7.32, placing him among the most active tacklers in the league. His TFL rate of 0.69 per game nearly matches the elite benchmark of 0.75, reflecting a linebacker who disrupts opposing backfields with real regularity. The one concern is pass defense — his 0.19 pass breakups per game barely edges the NFL average of 0.18, suggesting coverage versatility remains a work in progress against modern offensive schemes. His sack rate of 0.31 per game is a pleasant surprise, sitting above the league average of 0.15 and hinting at untapped pass-rush upside off the edge. If Dodson can meaningfully improve his coverage metrics, he has the profile of a Pro Bowl-caliber linebacker rather than a complementary starter. Watch whether Miami deploys him more in zone coverage packages next season — that development could be the defining factor in how high his ceiling ultimately reaches.

How Tyrel Compares at the Position

Tyrel Dodson ranks 50th of 338 graded linebackers by performance. That slots Tyrel between Dorian Williams (B) just ahead and Denzel Perryman (B) just behind.

Current Sentiment

Public perception of Tyrel Dodson sits at a B- sentiment grade, capturing how the Miami Dolphins fan base and beat writers are framing his role. The narrative around Dodson is defined by a sharp tension between his modest career trajectory and a recent uptick in goodwill rooted in concrete moments—a standout interception play has generated genuine buzz, and his professionalism in welcoming younger linebacker competition (particularly rookie Jacob Rodriguez) has earned quiet respect from local media voices rather than the cynicism often directed at veterans facing depth-chart pressure. His 2025 season production of 129 tackles, 5 sacks, and 1 interception across 16 games reflects a capable depth linebacker, and that output aligns with how he's being portrayed: a B-grade performer whose occasional highlight-reel plays (his INT generated discussion as a candidate for play of the year) create moments of outsized enthusiasm without fundamentally reshaping his standing as a replacement-level contributor. Recent team moves—the Dolphins adding multiple linebacker bodies including Jacob Rodriguez as an ILB and Trey Moore as an EDGE/ILB—have simultaneously validated Dodson's veteran presence (his willingness to mentor) and underscored that Miami views him as depth rather than a cornerstone piece. The bottom line is that Dodson has engineered a soft landing: he remains employed and respected for his professionalism, but the underlying media consensus is that he represents a stopgap presence that will eventually yield to younger talent, not a player around whom the franchise builds.