Jordyn Brooks is coming off a career season with the Miami Dolphins, and his impressive performance might ironically lead to a departure. Selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Texas Tech product established himself as one of the league’s better linebackers on the West Coast before joining the Dolphins in 2024. While he had a solid debut with Miami, he played his best football last year. Starting and appearing in all 17 games, Brooks finished the campaign with 3.5 sacks, a league-best 183 tackles, 13 tackles-for-loss, three passes defended, one forced fumble, and a 77.8 PFF grade, the 11th-best mark in the league among qualified players.
A player like Jordyn Brooks can play a major role on a contending defense, but the Miami Dolphins probably won’t have one of those in 2026. The Dolphins brought in Jeff Hafley to replace the fired Mike McDaniel and immediately embraced the tank by releasing Tyreek Hill and Tua Tagovailoa shortly before trading Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos. With no realistic shot at the playoffs and Brooks entering the final year of his contract, Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport believes the Dolphins could trade their star linebacker to the Cincinnati Bengals as they look to build a younger core.
“Last year, Brooks led the league with 183 total tackles and was named a First-Team All-Pro,” Davenport writes. “If the Dolphins don’t plan to re-up him, the time to trade the 28-year-old is now. And given Cincinnati’s ‘all-in’ approach to upgrading the defense this year, a package of picks headlined by a second-rounder is a deal worth making.”
Bengals, Dolphins Connected in Jordyn Brooks Trade Rumors
No team will willingly give up on its season before Week 1 rolls around, but the Miami Dolphins need to consider all options as they prepare for the future. Jordyn Brooks is a great player, and the Dolphins should be doing everything in their power to sign him to a long-term extension. After all, the team recently extended running back De’Von Achane, so there’s no reason they can’t do the same for Brooks. However, Brooks is older than Achane, so if they don’t think he’ll play well into his early 30s, they should consider a trade.
The worst thing that could happen for the Dolphins is to keep Brooks for a lost 2026, only to watch him walk in free agency. While some teams could earn a compensatory selection for losing a free agent, Miami should be heavy spenders and likely won’t receive anything for losing their star linebacker. If contract talks stall, the Dolphins need to seriously consider a Jordyn Brooks trade, especially since they used a second-round pick on Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez.
Bengals Depth Chart
The Cincinnati Bengals have not had a good defense in what feels like an eternity. While quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have the talent to win any game in a shootout, they can’t win every game 45-42. This team needs to build a defense, and Jordyn Brooks could be a key building block for the organization. While the team lost Trey Hendrickson to the Baltimore Ravens, they added star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, edge defender Boye Mafe, and defensive lineman Jonathan Allen.
These three players will improve the pass rush, but Cincinnati hasn’t done much to address the linebacker position. Jordyn Brooks would bring some much-needed stability as a run defender and blitzer and could be the missing piece the Bengals need to bring this unit together. While nobody will confuse the 2026 Cincinnati Bengals with the 1985 Chicago Bears, this unit should be good enough to support this high-flying aerial attack.
