The Buffalo Bills sure seem to need a shot of adrenaline on defense, despite their 5-1 record and the fact that true Super Bowl contenders usually don’t make big-time trades before the deadline.
The Athletic’s Daniel Popper proposed a trade that would bring that adrenaline — and then some — with Miami Dolphins All-Pro linebacker Jordyn Brooks.
Brooks has led the NFL in solo tackles twice — in 2021 and 2025 — and earned NFL All-Pro honors for the first time in 2025, when he led the league with 183 combined tackles.
Brooks Landed Massive Deal Before 2026 Season
The Dolphins signed Brooks to a 3-year, $51.3 million contract extension on July 21, making him one of the NFL’s highest-paid players at his position.
“The Dolphins are executing their tank effectively,” Popper wrote on October 22. “They have remained moderately competitive while still losing five straight games to begin the season. Their rookie class looks promising. The next step would be accruing some more draft capital for 2027. One issue, though, is they do not have many tradable players. Brooks, a reliable veteran off-ball linebacker, is one of the few. He signed a three-year extension in July and has close to $13 million in guaranteed salary in 2027, so any acquiring team would be making a multi-year commitment. The Dolphins would take on $15.6 million in dead money in 2027 if they traded Brooks. This regime, with coach Jeff Hafley and GM Jon-Eric Sullivan, has not been afraid of dead money thus far.”
Brooks Became Dominant Defender in Miami
Brooks, 6-foot and 240 pounds, was a 1st-round pick (No. 27 overall) by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2020 NFL draft and has been 1 of the NFL’s dominant inside linebackers since becoming a full-time starter in his 2nd season — when he had a career-high 184 tackles and led the NFL with 109 solo tackles.
He’s also durable. Brooks, 29, has only missed 2 regular-season games since 2021, and none since 2023.
“A smooth coverage linebacker with great instincts and field sense, Brooks is one of the few linebackers in the league who can truly be trusted to carry a tight end down the field, or drop into the intermediate middle and not get bamboozled by route combinations or quarterbacks’ eye fakes,” ESPN’s Ben Solak wrote in October 2025. “Coverage linebackers in their athletic prime are rare and impactful players.”
Bills Trade Pitch Lands $51.3 Million Tackling Machine From Rival