Dolphins Cut 3-Time Pro Bowler After 2 Appearances

Getty The Miami Dolphins have waived veteran pass rusher Jason Pierre-Paul after a brief stint with the team.

Just like that, Jason Pierre-Paul’s brief stint with the Miami Dolphins might be over.

The Dolphins announced that they would be waiving the three-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champ on December 19, activating rookie running back Chris Brooks in his place.

Pierre-Paul lasted just two appearances in Miami after he was signed off of the New Orleans Saints practice squad. He did not record any defensive statistics according to Pro Football Reference, registering five snaps on defense and another eight on special teams.

Theoretically, the veteran could re-sign with Miami on a practice squad contract if he clears waivers. He appeared to be excited to play in his home state of Florida once again upon joining the Dolphins.

Jason Pierre-Paul Is No Closer to 100-Sack Goal After Opportunities With Saints & Dolphins

During an exclusive interview with “The Pivot Podcast” on October 10, Pierre-Paul revealed that he still wanted to play football in 2023. His reasoning was his ultimate NFL goal of reaching 100 career sacks.

“I’m trying to reach 100 sacks,” the defensive playmaker stated candidly at the time. “That’s a goal I want, and I haven’t been given the opportunity.”

It hasn’t been much as far as snap counts go, but through two NFL opportunities since that statement, Pierre-Paul has yet to record a sack. He did log two total tackles with the Saints, but none in Miami.

Including postseason statistics, “JPP” currently sits at 98.0 career sacks. 94.5 of those of have come during the regular season.

Depending on how the pass rusher chooses to measure this achievement, that means he either needs 2.0 more total sacks, or 5.5 over the final three weeks of the 2023 campaign in order to reach triple digits. The latter is highly unlikely this year — even if someone claims him and offers him a steady snap count down the stretch.

Dolphins Activate Chris Brooks as 4th RB on 53-Man Roster

After rushing for an impressive 6.3 yards per carry to start his NFL career, the undrafted rookie out of BYU (California transfer) is finally back with the active roster.

Brooks last suited up in Week 6 versus the Carolina Panthers. He has only been given 31 offensive snaps on the year but has also contributed on special teams with 71 snaps in that area of the game.

The 23-year-old joins a crowded backfield in Week 16, as Raheem Mostert, De’Von Achane and Jeff Wilson Jr. are all healthy for once. With Brooks, the Dolphins have one of the strongest and deepest RB cores in the league heading into the playoffs.

Dolphins Could Elevate Melvin Ingram After Cutting Jason Pierre-Paul

After the news of Pierre-Paul hitting waivers, Sun Sentinel reporter David Furones pointed out that the Dolphins still have fellow veteran pass rusher Melvin Ingram waiting in the wings.

“While parting ways with JPP, who was a healthy scratch Sunday against the Jets, the Dolphins have Melvin Ingram on the practice squad with three elevations to the active roster available,” Furones noted.

Ingram played well for Miami in 2022, with 6.0 sacks and seven tackles for a loss over three starts and 17 appearances. He also suited up in the lone playoff outing, recording two total tackles.

It was a bit of a resurgence for the former Los Angeles Chargers star, who accumulated just 2.0 sacks over 22 appearances with three different organizations from 2020 through 2021. We’ll see if he can make a similar impact if called upon in 2023.