When the Miami Dolphins signed cornerback Byron Jones to a five-year, $82.5 million contract back in 2020, the expectation was that he’d team up with Xavien Howard to form one of the best tandems in the league.
After just three seasons in South Beach, it became apparent that this wasn’t going to happen. In turn, the Dolphins are set to release Jones with a post-June 1 designation to save a whopping $13.6 million against the 2023 NFL salary cap. This move comes with a mere $4.75 million dead cap hit.
Miami’s decision to release Jones wasn’t simply financially driven. While the team was $16.56 million over the 2023 cap prior to making this move, Jones simply did not live up to expectations with the Dolphins. A lot of that had to do with injuries derailing Byron Jones career.
A former first-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys back in 2015, Jones earned Pro Bowl honors with Dallas in 2018. He ultimately landed a lucrative deal with Miami during the spring of 2020. In three seasons with the Dolphins, this former Connecticut standout played in 30 games. He missed the entire 2022 season due to a leg injury. He opened up about this ahead of his release by indicating that his career could very well be over.
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“It was an honor and privilege to play in the NFL but it came at a regrettable cost I did not foresee. In my opinion, no amount of professional success or financial gain is worth avoidable chronic pain and disabilities. Godspeed to the draft class of 2023,” Byron Jones wrote back in February.
In his last season with the Dolphins back in 2021, Jones started 16 games. He recorded 10 passes defended without an interception while yielding a 100.6 QB rating when targeted.
While Byron Jones could attempt to make his way back into the league during free agency, these injuries have to be seen as concerning. He also pretty much shot down that possibility in the aforementioned comments.
As for the Dolphins, they still have some more work to do in order to become viable players once the market unofficially opens on March 13.