Dolphins Bring Back QB, Release Cornerback After Injury to Free Agent Signing
The Miami Dolphins have signed back quarterback Mark Gronowski and new linebacker Cam Riley.
Subsequently, they have placed guard Jamaree Salyer on injured reserve and waived cornerback Ethan Robinson with an injury designation. This comes after the team’s first preseason game. It also officially ends Jamaree Salyer’s season.
Those who watched Miami take on Washington in preseason week 1 would know how poor the backup quarterbacks looked. Quinn Ewers and Cam Miller combined for 4 completions and looked atrocious, being unable to move the offense downfield to put up points.
On the bright side, Malik Willis looked fantastic on his only drive, where he and Achane led the team downfield to score a touchdown. Gronowski was waived last week after a pretty rough go during training camp. He was signed as an undrafted free agent and was battling Cam Miller and Quinn Ewers for a backup spot.
Clearly the regime thinks they need some juice in the quarterback room, and Gronowski should get a shot to impress the team during week 2 of the preseason. The team is currently carrying 4 quarterbacks on the active 90-man roster. One of them will need to be impressive enough to win the backup job. At least the new regime moves fast, making moves directly after watching the game.
Cam Riley played 5 seasons of collegiate football between Auburn and Florida State. He was primarily a special-teams contributor on both teams. He spent the 2025 season on and off practice squads with the Tennessee Titans. Miami’s linebackers looked good in camp and preseason, so this signing may just be to fill a roster spot during the final stretch of camp and preseason games.
Jamaree Salyer was one of the bigger names that the Dolphins signed in free agency, but his season is over with the Miami Dolphins.
He had a lingering injury in the last month and was recently announced to take longer to recover than initially expected.
Roster Moves | We have signed quarterback Mark Gronowski and inside linebacker Cam Riley.
We have also placed guard/tackle Jamaree Salyer on the injured reserve list and waived/injured cornerback Ethan Robinson. pic.twitter.com/GIRGkcZDDe
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) August 16, 2026
The former Los Angeles Charger is only 26 years old and has 40 starts under his belt. He wasn’t going to win the job against second-year player Jonah Savaiinaea, but the depth he provides would have been useful. Miami traded for former 3rd-round pick Caedan Wallace last week, and he was the best-performing offensive player according to PFF in the outing against Washington.
Ethan Robinson was also injured, but the team opted to waive him with the injury designation instead of placing him on injured reserve and taking up a roster spot. Robinson was signed as an undrafted free agent after the 2025 NFL Draft out of Minnesota and recorded an interception in his first preseason with the team.
Unfortunately, he didn’t make the initial 53-man roster and was moved to the team’s practice squad. He appeared in 2 games last season as an elevated player, playing 16 special teams snaps across both games.
He wasn’t likely to make the team even if he was healthy, but the team is doing him a solid by releasing him now so he can later sign to a team when he gets healthy.
Placing him on injured reserve, like Salyer, would have ended his 2026 season.
