Dolphins Waive Veteran Starting Safety: Report

Getty NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported on November 26 that the Miami Dolphins have waived veteran safety Marcus Maye.

The Miami Dolphins are making a significant change to their roster. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported the Dolphins waived veteran safety Marcus Maye on November 26.

“Source: The Dolphins are waiving veteran safety Marcus Maye,” wrote Pelissero on X (formerly Twitter).

“Maye appeared in 11 games for Miami with three starts. They’d like to re-sign him to the practice squad if he clears.”

Although he only started three games for the Dolphins this season, Maye has started 80 contests in his NFL career. Before joining Miami in 2024, Maye spent five seasons with the New York Jets and two years with the New Orleans Saints.

In 11 games with the Dolphins, Maye posted 30 combined tackles, including 1 tackle for loss and 1 pass defense. He played 293 defensive snaps for Miami.

Dolphins Part Ways With Safety Marcus Maye

Although a shakeup to the roster, it’s not overly surprising the Dolphins released Maye. He started three out of four games from Weeks 5-9. But during his final three games in Miami, Maye didn’t play a single defensive snap.

This season, the Dolphins have gone 1-3 when Maye plays at least 74% of the team’s defensive snaps. They are 4-3 when he plays under that. Interestingly, the Dolphins went 4-0 when Maye lined up for 3 snaps or fewer on defense.

Obviously, other things, such as Tua Tagovailoa’s health, are factors in those records. But Maye didn’t appear to be part of the solution for Miami’s defense either.

In his last start versus the Buffalo Bills on November 3, Maye had 6 combined tackles, including 1 tackle for loss while playing 66 snaps.

The past three weeks, Maye only played on special teams. He averaged 14 special teams snaps in his final three games.

Maye’s best statistical season came in 2020 when he had 88 combined tackles, including 4 tackles for loss and 2 quarterback hits. He also had 2 sacks, 2 interceptions and 11 pass defenses that year.

Before joining the Dolphins, Maye had never not started a game in which he was active during his NFL career. That happened eight times in Miami this season.

But according to Pelissero, the Dolphins would still prefer to bring Maye back on the practice squad.

Dolphins Make Room for Rookie Safety Patrick McMorris

It will be great for the Dolphins if Maye can return on their practice squad. But exposing him to waivers is risky because of the starting experience he can bring to another team.

However, the Dolphins also needed to create a roster spot for rookie safety Patrick McMorris.

The Sun Sentinel’s David Furones speculated on X that the Dolphins could be releasing Maye to then activate McMorris from injured reserve.

Minutes later, Furones reported that was exactly Miami’s plan.

“Those are indeed the two moves at safety, according to league source:,” Furones wrote on X.

“Patrick McMorris to be activated off IR; Marcus Maye waived.”

The Dolphins drafted McMorris at No. 198 overall during the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft. The team placed him on injured reserve on roster cutdown day, so he has yet to appear in a regular season game.

At Cal last season, he posted 90 combined tackles with 5 tackles for loss, 8 pass defenses, 1 sack and 1 interception.