MIAMI GARDENS — The parallels drawn betweenJacob Rodriguezand Zach Thomas are both too tempting to ignore while also being not exactly fair to either player.
Thomas, of course, is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Rodriguez is two weeks away from playing his first NFL snap.
Buy Miami Dolphins tickets on StubHub
But as anyone following theMiami Dolphins knows, they’re both battering rams out of Texas Tech. Thomas has been an inspiration to Rodriguez, going so far as to say Rodriguez is the best defensive player the Red Raiders have produced.
Now, there’s one more way their career arcs are parallel.
Both Rodriguez and Thomas arrived in Miami with talent
so obvious that everyone knew they’d have bigger roles than most rookies could expect. Shortly after Thomas stepped foot in Miami, coach Jimmy Johnson released Jack Del Rio, the veteran and presumed starter to that point. It ended the playing career of Del Rio, then 33, who went into coaching.
“Jimmy Johnson came to me and was like, ‘Zach, we’re starting you. Don’t let me down,’ ” Thomas said. “I’m like, ‘Yes, sir.’ ”
This weekend, 1996 repeated itself for the Miami Dolphins.
Tyrel Dodson, a seventh-year NFL veteran who started 16 games for Miami last season, was released Sunday morning, clearing the way for the pairing of two Red Raiders, Rodriguez and Jordyn Brooks, to patrol the middle. Ever since Rodriguez was taken in the second round, 43rd overall, it was only a matter of time before that pairing would become reality. The only question was when. Now, we know.
Dodson, 28, is entering his seventh NFL season, only he now does not know where. Rodriguez won’t turn 24 until Sept. 6, a week before the opener at the Las Vegas Raiders. Together, theirs appeared to be the tightest competition for a starting spot on the team, with the Dolphins’ depth chart listing both names separated by an unbiased and unrevealing “or.”
“I think it's a great competition,” coach Jeff Hafley had said. “You got a guy who's had success in the league and has played in a lot of games, has a lot of experience and is a really smart football player, and you have a good, up-and-coming young guy who's extremely instinctive, violent, and I think it's a very healthy competition right now.”
Buy Miami Dolphins tickets on StubHub
Dodson had 129 tackles and five sacks for Miami last season, so perhaps the only surprise is that general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan apparently could not find a trading partner. Both Dodson and Rodriguez had dealt with injuries that forced them to miss practice time in camp.
Was starting as a rookie a big deal to Rodriguez, a second-round pick? Tough to tell. Asked if he’s more focused on playing time than starting, he chose none of the above.
“I don't care how we do it, when we do it, everything is about winning,” he said. “I think as a team you got to try to grow your role as much as you can. I'd love to be on the field and playing every single snap I can. If I'm not, I'm not. But if we're winning, I'll be happy.”
Dolphins inside linebackers are solid
If the entire roster were as solid as the inside linebackers, the Dolphins would be picked to do plenty of winning. About a week ago, when ESPN rated every position group on every team in the league, Miami’s off-the-ball linebackers ranked seventh — the highest rating of any position group on the Dolphins.
Speaking early in training camp, Dodson described the atmosphere in the group’s meetings.
“Me and JB are the leaders in the room and we just try to lead with love,” he said. “Sometimes it’s tough love, which is competition.”
Dodson even compared it to his time in Buffalo, when his room also included Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano.
“We had six starters and the table was big enough for all of us to eat off of it. You just got to maximize your role and just run with it.”
Unlike Rodriguez, Dodson entered the league as an undrafted free agent with Buffalo in 2019 before moving to Seattle, which waived him in November 2024. A day later, he was awarded to Miami. A month after that, he was named AFC defensive player of the week. Then came last season, when he started all but one game and finished with 129 tackles.
This summer, he faced the challenge of a highly regarded thumper of a rookie. When Rodriguez is on the field, he’s hard to miss.
Dodson recently tossed a high compliment Rodriguez’s way when comparing the newcomers to the room.
“Jacob’s like the dad of the group,” he said.
That’s critical. Remember, Dodson wore the green dot on defense, meaning he was responsible for relaying signals from the coaches. To put that responsibility on a rookie would be a compliment to Rodriguez that would make Thomas proud.
For now, Rodriguez of course said he’s trying to learn the system and execute what coaches call, but he’s also not afraid to use his voice when appropriate.
“Obviously, as a competitor, you want to win,” Rodriguez said. “If you think something could work better, you want to always kind of voice that and try to see if we could tweak something to improve it.”
In short, he added, “I kind of come off to the sideline and let them know what I’m seeing on the field.”
This weekend, Rodriguez’s voice just grew much louder.
Hal Habib covers the Miami Dolphins for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at HHabib@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Jacob Rodriguez bumps vet for Miami Dolphins LB job (like Zach Thomas)
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
