Jordyn Brooks Says Nobody Respects the Dolphins — And That’s Fine With Him
Miami Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks isn’t concerned about what people outside the organization think about his team.
In fact, he appears ready to embrace it.
Speaking with the media ahead of the 2026 season, Brooks discussed his health, Miami’s emphasis on becoming a more physical football team, the responsibility veteran players have with such a young roster, the departure of Tyrel Dodson and the development of rookie Jacob Rodriguez.
But perhaps Brooks’ most noteworthy comments came when he was asked whether the Dolphins have developed an underdog mentality.
“I don’t think we have a choice, honestly,” Brooks said.
Brooks noted that he hasn’t seen many people predicting big things for Miami this season and doesn’t believe the Dolphins are getting much respect from their opponents.
“100% underdog mindset,” Brooks said. “We’re going to carry that mindset into the season and have that ‘us against the world’ mentality and do our best to win football games.”
For a young Dolphins team entering a new era, that may be exactly the mentality head coach Jeff Hafley wants.
Brooks Is Healthy and Ready to Go
Brooks also provided some good news regarding his health.
After being spotted wearing a compression sleeve, there was some concern about whether the veteran linebacker would be ready for the regular-season opener.
Brooks quickly put those concerns to rest.
He said he always knew the issue wasn’t anything long-term and simply needed some time to get it taken care of.
“It’s all good to go now,” Brooks said.
That’s important news for a Dolphins defense that will be relying heavily on Brooks both for his play on the field and his leadership.
Physicality Is a Choice
Hafley has repeatedly stressed the importance of building a physical football team, and Brooks offered an interesting perspective on what that actually means.
“Physicality is a choice that takes no talent,” Brooks said.
According to Brooks, being physical isn’t about having the most gifted players. It’s about each player making a conscious decision to play that way.
That’s the mindset Miami is attempting to establish throughout the entire roster.
Brooks acknowledged that the Dolphins have had practices where that physicality has been evident and others where it hasn’t been as consistent.
The goal now is making sure it shows up every day so it eventually becomes part of Miami’s identity on Sundays.
Brooks also pointed out that every NFL team talks about wanting to be physical. The difference comes down to whether teams actually follow through.
“Do we practice what we preach?” Brooks said. “That’s going to make the difference.”
He believes Miami has the players necessary to become that type of team.
Brooks Has a Major Leadership Role
With Miami assembling one of the NFL’s youngest rosters, Brooks understands his responsibilities extend beyond making tackles.
The Dolphins have numerous young and inexperienced players who will inevitably experience highs and lows during the season.
Brooks believes it’s the responsibility of Miami’s veterans to help them navigate those moments.
“It’s going to be a gauntlet of a season,” Brooks said.
Young players, he explained, can sometimes “ride the wave” depending on how things are going. Brooks wants Miami’s veteran leaders to remain steady and help the younger players avoid getting too high after victories or too low following difficult moments.
Brooks learned something about that challenge last season while watching Zach Sieler help guide young players.
Now Brooks is being asked to take on even more of that responsibility himself.
He compared young players to children needing guidance and believes Miami has the right veterans in place to provide it.
“We’ve been burned many times in this game,” Brooks said. “I’ve got a lot of knowledge to give to young guys to help them.”
Brooks Was Surprised by Tyrel Dodson’s Release
One of the more personal moments of Brooks’ media session came when he was asked about Miami releasing linebacker Tyrel Dodson.
Brooks admitted he was surprised.
Dodson wasn’t simply another teammate. Brooks described him as one of his best friends off the field and someone he has become very close with over the past three years.
That made watching him leave particularly difficult.
Brooks understands the business side of the NFL, but he acknowledged that it’s sometimes impossible not to take personnel decisions personally.
The good news is that Dodson has already found another opportunity, and Brooks said the two have spoken.
According to Brooks, Dodson is in good spirits and will continue moving forward.
“It does suck not having him as a teammate anymore,” Brooks said.
High Praise for Jacob Rodriguez
Dodson’s departure also opened the door for rookie Jacob Rodriguez, and Brooks had plenty of positive things to say about the young linebacker.
Brooks referred to Rodriguez as a “rookie vet.”
That’s quite the compliment.
According to Brooks, Rodriguez arrived from Texas Tech with an impressive understanding of the game and a level of maturity uncommon for a rookie.
“He’s already seasoned,” Brooks said.
Brooks believes Rodriguez has continued improving since OTAs and is excited to see what the rookie can accomplish during his first NFL season.
His comments also help explain why Miami was comfortable moving forward with such a young linebacker room.
Brooks Isn’t Focused on Individual Accomplishments
Brooks enters 2026 coming off a season in which he earned All-Pro recognition and led the NFL in tackles.
Those are significant accomplishments, but Brooks isn’t spending much time thinking about them.
He acknowledged that those achievements mattered to him because they were goals he wanted to reach, but they’re now in the past.
“We got a new season ahead of us,” Brooks said.
His focus now is on helping Miami win.
Brooks described his individual accomplishments as a byproduct of his love for football and the effort he gives every time he steps onto the field.
“Every time I’m on the field, I’m going to give everything I got to help us win,” Brooks said. “That’s the mentality.”
Embracing Being the Underdog
It’s difficult to miss the similarities between Brooks’ comments and the identity Hafley has been attempting to establish.
Physical.
Tough.
Competitive.
Steady through adversity.
And not particularly concerned about outside expectations.
The Dolphins are young. They are inexperienced in several areas. There will almost certainly be growing pains.
Brooks isn’t running away from that reality.
Instead, he’s embracing the responsibility of helping Miami’s young players through it.
And if the rest of the NFL doesn’t believe the Dolphins are ready to win?
That appears to be perfectly fine with him.
Miami can use it.
Brooks believes the Dolphins are entering the season as underdogs, and he wants his teammates to embrace the disrespect rather than complain about it.
An “us against the world” mentality won’t guarantee victories.
But if Hafley wants to establish a tougher identity in Miami, having one of his defensive leaders openly embracing that mentality is a pretty good place to start.
