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A potential Miami Dolphins target signed with the Minnesota Vikings

The Miami Dolphins have been constrained by their salary cap situation all offseason. Early in the process, the Miami Dolphins decided it was best to part ways with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, despite the substantial salary cap penalty that the team would take on with such a move. 

Then, with Miami prioritizing draft capital, the Dolphins traded away star receiver Jaylen Waddle. While the team did receive solid compensation in the trade, they left themselves without an experienced wide receiver capable of serving as the team’s primary option. Without cap space, the Dolphins signed a pair of receivers to veteran minimum contracts and drafted three wide receivers in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Despite those moves, many still believed the team lacked weapons for new quarterback Malik Willis. Unfortunately, one of the players Miami had interest in this offseason has now signed with an NFC team.

Miami Dolphins Target Joins Vikings

After the 2026 NFL Draft, Miami Herald writer Barry Jackson reported that the Miami Dolphins had shown interest in signing free agent wide receiver Jauan Jennings. However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter has now reported that Jennings agreed to a one-year, $13 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings.

Jennings, who previously played for the San Francisco 49ers, recently recorded 975 receiving yards in 2024 and has caught 15 touchdowns over the past two seasons.

Regarding Miami not signing Jennings, DolphinsWire’s Mike Masala wrote:

“While he would’ve been a solid veteran addition to a young, inexperienced wide receiver room and offense overall, the contract didn’t make much sense, considering the Dolphins gave every one of their free-agent signings (besides Malik Willis) less than $2 million.”

Miami Dolphins Wide Receivers

Regarding Jennings signing elsewhere and what the Dolphins might do at the wide receiver position, A to Z Sports writer Kyle Crabbs added:

“Jennings is undoubtedly a good player. But he’s 29 years old this summer. And spending anywhere close to that dollar amount of Jennings would have felt counterproductive to the big-picture objectives Miami has laid out this offseason.

If the goal is to be fiscally responsible to return the team to a better cap situation? And also to get younger? Jennings was always going to be at odds with those goals. Miami did not hold back in the 2026 NFL Draft, pulling in three wide receiver selections. They, along with veterans like Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert, and Tutu Atwell, should be the ones to play this season out. If a reasonably priced veteran free agent is staring them in the face in the next few months, the conversation can be had.”

While Crabbs seems to suggest Miami would be fine staying with their current crop of wide receivers, Barry Jackson said a possible free agent signing could still be possible, as he wrote:

“In a market with 36 veteran accomplished unsigned receivers, the Dolphins — if they choose — likely would be able to find a cheap one who would not only crack their rotation but potentially start.”

Some of the names Jackson mentioned as possibilities were: “Tyreek Hill (coming off major knee injury), Deebo Samuel, Brandin Cooks, Tyler Lockett, Stefon Diggs, Curtis Samuel, De’Andre Hopkins, Noah Brown, Keenan Allen, Jahan Dotson, Josh Reynolds, Zay Jones, Tim Patrick, Hunter Renfroe, Braxton Berrios, Sterling Shepard, Skyy Moore, Ju-Ju Smith Schuster, Dee Eskridge and Cedric Wilson (like Hill, both were members of last year’s Dolphins), Scottie Miller, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Gabe Davis.”