Jevon Holland Takes a Shot at the Dolphins

The free agent safety talks free agency on the Breakin’ House Rules Podcast.

While the Miami Dolphins look to retool and fill the holes in the roster for the upcoming season, a few big names may not be sporting the aqua and orange in 2025, including 2022 Pro Bowler Jevon Holland.

Though many fans thought Holland would be part of the Dolphins core for the foreseeable future, the star safety was hit with injuries through the 2023 and 2024 seasons and took a step back in overall production.

You don’t see young stars regress in a contract year, but it was evident with his play last year. According to PFF, Holland is the number three free agent of this class, but he was ranked 89th of 170 strong safeties with a grade of 63.0 in 2024.

Not sure how you rank someone the third-best free agent after the year we saw, but maybe they’re thinking a fresh start could equal better production like what happened with Brandon Jones and DeShon Elliot. If not, the math ain’t mathing.

Not So Veiled Shot

The Dolphins safety, now a free agent, recently spoke on the “Breakin’ House Rules” Podcast, which he cohosts about his upcoming free agency and what he would want in a team, not excluding the Dolphins.

It’s his platform, and he can say whatever he wants, but I don’t see how this is not a shot at the Dolphins. He does try to walk it back a little by saying it’s just his general mindset of what he’s looking for, but it feels too on the nose toward the Dolphins public issues. Let’s go one by one.

• Detailed & Experience Coaching: Mike McDaniel is a first-time head coach, and Anthony Weaver is a first-time defensive coordinator.
• Honest Culture: I can only speculate here, and this would be for the more in-depth reporters, but you don’t come up with an answer like this unless you’ve dealt with dishonesty in the NFL, and the Dolphins are the only team he’s been on.
• Men-Leading Head Coach: McDaniel is not the typical “leader of men” and is more of a player-friendly x’s and o’s guy. Direct shot.
• A Team That Wants to Win: The Dolphins being in Miami always has its connotations amongst players having too much fun on their off time, but this is something that former DC Vic Fangio pointed out about the defense before he left for Philadelphia. Another direct shot.
• Leaders That Want to Lead and Set Examples by Actions, Not Their Word: No analysis is needed. It’s right there in his own words. Dagger.

Kick Rocks

Everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt until they have squandered that trust. Holland is not there yet and was only seen as a departing player because of the money he will command in free agency, and the Dolphins won’t compete to keep him.

That’s just the business of the NFL, and not everyone drafted is going to stay, even if both sides ultimately want to.

I don’t get that feeling anymore because all of Holland’s factors seem to be the opposite of what he experienced in Miami. He could get away with it if he was a journeyman on multiple teams and saw how others operate, but that’s not the case.

Holland has been with one team through his four years, and everything he said looks like direct shots at what Miami lacked during his tenure, whether it’s something that was publicly written about or how he personally feels.

He can spin it if he wants, but it’s pretty transparent, and he’s already one foot out the door. At this point, the Dolphins should tell him what he told Vic Fangio, “kick rocks.”