The Tampa Bay Buccaneers leapt at the opportunity to pay cornerback Jamel Dean less money in 2025.
Dean had underperformed in the 2 seasons since he signed a 4-year, $52 million contract extension before the 2023 season, so him agreeing to a pay cut in 2025 so he could get out of his contract one year early was fine for all involved.
Like any other financial decision Tampa Bay has made with its secondary in recent years, the move backfired. Dean responded with arguably the best season of his career/ Now, he’s ready to cash in elsewhere, which would rob the Buccaneers of their one reliable veteran at the position.
Pro Football Focus put Dean on its list of the highest graded defensive free agents in the NFL, and tabbed the struggling Miami Dolphins as the “best landing spot” for the 6-foot-1, 206-pound Super Bowl champion.
“Former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is taking over as head coach of the Miami Dolphins and should be keyed in on overhauling the coverage unit this offseason,” PFF’s Mason Cameron wrote. “The Dolphins rostered just one cornerback with at least 100 coverage snaps and a 60.0-plus PFF coverage grade. That player was Rasul Douglas, who is slated to enter free agency, creating an immediate need at the position. Dean is a quality cornerback, having never produced a season-long PFF coverage grade below 72.0. He thrived as an outside cornerback in Todd Bowles’ Cover 3-heavy scheme, earning an 87.2 zone PFF coverage grade this past season. Hafley’s defense in Green Bay ran zone coverages at the fifth-highest rate in the NFL this past season, making for a seamless fit.”
Injuries Cost Bucs, Dean Down Stretch
Dean had as many interceptions in 2025 (3) as he had in the previous 3 seasons combined and did so in 14 games, missing Weeks 11 and 12 with a hip flexor and missing the regular season finale with a shoulder injury.
PFF’s Bradley Locker called Dean the one player the Buccaneers can’t afford to lose in free agency, and it’s easy to see how Dean missing those 3 games down the stretch cost the Buccaneers a spot in the playoffs. Tampa Bay started the season 5-1 but went 2-9 to close out the year and missed the postseason for the first time since 2019.
“The team’s defensive performance waned down the stretch, but Dean made a name for himself over the full year,” Locker wrote. “… His 46.9 passer rating when targeted was the lowest among (NFL cornerbacks), and he finished third in completion percentage allowed (45.5%).”
Dean’s Gamble About to Pay Off
While the Dolphins might be an ideal landing spot for Dean in 2026, it really might end up being a case of him going to the highest bidder. Having won a Super Bowl in his second season, you can’t make the argument he’s still chasing a ring.
Spotrac projects his market value in the range of a 3-year, $37.4 million free agent contract that pays him approximately $12.5 million per year, but it’s not a leap to see that number quickly going up to around $15 million per year depending how desperate some teams get.
Bucs Predicted to Lose $52 Million Star to Struggling AFC Team