The Miami Dolphins have some strong depth in their linebacker room behind starters Jordyn Brooks and Jacob Rodriguez. While Kyle Louis, Jackson Woodard and Ronnie Harrison Jr. are also in the room, Miami's top backup at the position in 2026 is Willie Gay Jr.
The 28-year-old is a former second-round pick and a two-time Super Bowl champion. During his time with the Kansas City Chiefs, he played over 55% of the team's defensive snaps after his rookie year, but in 2024 with the Saints, he played just 27%, and in Miami last year, he played just 12%.
Still, he performed well enough in training camp to earn a spot on the 53-man roster in 2026, and over the last two years, he's earned a ton of respect from Brooks, the All-Pro.
"I think Willie is a star,
man. All he does is make plays," Brooks told members of the media this week. "I mean, every time he's out on the field, he just makes plays. He can't help himself. And so I think Willie's going to be a big part of our defense this year, and I'm excited for him, man. He's kind of been taking on that leadership role with this being a young team. He's been taking that step forward as far as helping to take the charge, lead the guys. And so I'm excited for the year that he's about to have."
Brooks isn't the only one in South Florida who Gay has impressed; new defensive coordinator Sean Duggan is right there with him.
"I think the first thing I always think about when I think of Willie is just his play style," Duggan said. "He plays the game of football the right way. He plays the way we believe in. Plays to the whistle, plays 100 miles an hour. Even if he makes a mistake, he does it full speed, which I think you can really appreciate as a coach. You see guys when they make mistakes, sometimes they're slowing down, or they're playing like, ‘Oh man, I messed that up.’ He just goes. So that's always the first thing I think about. He's always vocal, always in a good mood when he's out there. He brings people up, right?Like when you're around Willie at practice, your day gets better because you can feed off his energy."
However, even though he's been in the league for a while, Duggan still believes Gay can improve in some areas.
"What I want to see from him is really what I want to see from all of our players. Play the game the right way, play fundamentally sound, play as hard as you can. If you make a mistake, don't worry about it. Fix it. You know, fix it after. We'll correct it on the sidelines and try to learn from it," Duggan explained.
Gay is expected to have a bigger role in Miami in 2026 than he did under Mike McDaniel last year, and if he can prove himself to be a capable third linebacker for a team, he could earn himself a more lucrative contract next offseason.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins captain calls depth defender a star ahead of season opener
