Former Seattle Seahawks starting linebacker Tyrel Dodson is headed back to the open market after putting together the best statistical season of his NFL career.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported on August 30 that the Miami Dolphins are releasing Dodson as they trim their roster ahead of the regular season. Schultz noted that Dodson recorded 129 tackles, five sacks and one interception for Miami last season.
Those numbers make the timing noteworthy. Dodson started all 16 games he played for the Dolphins in 2025, and his 129 tackles and five sacks were both career highs. Pro Football Reference also credits him with 10 tackles for loss and six quarterback hits.
For Seahawks fans, the move adds another chapter to an unusual two-year stretch for a linebacker Seattle once envisioned as part of its rebuilt defense.
Dodson recorded 129 tackles, 5 sacks and 1 INT last season with Miami.
Seahawks Moved on From Tyrel Dodson After 9 Starts
Seattle signed Dodson in March 2024 after losing Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks in free agency.
Dodson opened the season as the Seahawks’ starting middle linebacker and started each of their first nine games. He shifted to weakside linebacker after Seattle acquired Ernest Jones IV, then was waived during the Seahawks’ Week 10 bye.
He had accumulated 71 tackles, two sacks, five tackles for loss and a forced fumble during those nine games.
At the time, head coach Mike Macdonald said the decision was about both creating opportunities elsewhere in the linebacker room and allowing Dodson to find a bigger role with another team. Seattle subsequently gave rookie Tyrice Knight more playing time.
Miami claimed Dodson off waivers the next day, on November 12, 2024. He appeared in eight games for the Dolphins to close that season before returning to Miami for 2025.
That second stint turned into a breakout year.
Dodson’s 129 tackles ranked second on the Dolphins behind Jordyn Brooks’ 183, while his five sacks tied defensive tackle Zach Sieler for third on the team.
Miami had Dodson under contract through 2026 after signing him to a two-year, $6.25 million deal that included $2.605 million guaranteed, according to Over the Cap. His scheduled 2026 cap charge was approximately $3.68 million.
A Seahawks Reunion Would Be Far From Automatic
Dodson becoming available naturally reconnects him to Seattle, but the Seahawks are in a much different position at linebacker than they were when they signed him in 2024.
Jones has since become one of the centerpieces of Macdonald’s defense, finishing 2025 with 124 tackles and five interceptions.
Seattle also re-signed Drake Thomas to a multi-year contract in March after Thomas started 14 regular-season games and all three postseason games during the Seahawks’ Super Bowl-winning season. Thomas finished 2025 with 96 tackles, 3.5 sacks and an interception, according to the team’s statistics.
Knight remains in the picture as well and drew praise from Macdonald after a standout performance in Seattle’s 2026 preseason opener.
That makes Dodson more interesting as a familiar veteran suddenly entering the market than as an obvious Seattle target.
Still, his release is striking considering how his first Seahawks tenure ended. Less than two years after Seattle decided it was ready to move forward without him, Dodson is coming off a season in which he started every game he played and established career highs across multiple defensive categories.
Now, at 28, he will have another opportunity to find a team looking for an experienced linebacker just before the regular season begins.
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