The Miami Dolphins continue to build toward the 2026 NFL regular season. This year, the team has started a complete rebuild, including hiring a new general manager in Jon-Eric Sullivan and new head coach in Jeff Hafley. The team is also embracing competition, wanting players to be pushed to earn a roster spot rather than being gifted it.
That even includes the special teams players, where Miami has two kickers on the roster as they head toward minicamp. Both players will be looking to make the roster as the Dolphins
let the competition play out. Today, our 90-in-90 series takes a look at one of those kickers, Riley Patterson.
Biography
Name: Riley Patterson
Number: 47
Position: Kicker
Height / Weight: 6’0” / 190 pounds
Age (at start of season): 27
Experience: 6th year
- Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, Detroit Lions – 2021
- Jacksonville Jaguars – 2022
- Cleveland Browns – 2023
- Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington Commanders, New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns – 2024
- Miami Dolphins 2025
College: Memphis
Draft: 2021 undrafted
Acquired: 2025 free agent signing (practice squad); Re-signed 2026
Contract and 2026 salary cap
Contract: 1-year, $1.4 million
2026 salary cap: $1.3 million
Contract details via OverTheCap.com.
2025 review
Games played: 17
Field Goals: 27 of 29 (93.1 percent conversions)
50+ Field Goals: 3 of 4
Extra Points: 34 of 35 (97.1 percent conversions)
The Dolphins entered 2025 with a former All-Pro kicker who was deadly from over 50 yards and had the most accurate season for a kicker in team history, converting on 92.3 percent of his kicks. Then an injury in training camp to Jason Sanders sent the team scrambling for a kicker.
They found Patterson, who turned a questionable situation into success – and surpassed Sanders for the most accurate season of kicking in team history. Patterson locked down the position well enough to keep Sanders on injured reserve, even after he was designated for return.
It was a good enough season for the Dolphins to release Sanders in the offseason and re-sign Patterson.
Offseason moves
Kicker signings: Zane Gonzalez, Riley Patterson (re-signed)
Released: Jason Sanders
Drafted: None
2026 expectations
Patterson’s season was good enough for the team to re-sign him, but it was not a dominant year that prevented the team from also adding Zane Gonzalez as competition. While some years include an undrafted free agent being signed to be a camp leg, keeping the starter from having to kick during all of the preseason games, this feels more like Patterson and Gonzalez, a nine-year veteran, will battle throughout the summer. Patterson could easily claim the job, but he is not guaranteed anything.
