The Miami Dolphins have released kicker Jason Sanders according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, ending his tenure with the Dolphins after eight seasons. Sanders was the starting kicker for the Dolphins in seven of those seasons, having missed all of the 2025 season to a hip injury.
As the Dolphins continue to purge their roster, Sanders was the latest veteran to pack his bags. His cap number for 2026 was set to be around $4.5 million, according to Over The Cap. After a stellar 2020 season in which Sanders made 36 of 39 field goal attempts and was voted to the NFL’s All-Pro team, Sanders signed a five-year extension before the 2021 season. That contract was set to expire after the 2026 season, but the Dolphins are pulling the trigger early.
Of course, last season, Sanders suffered a hip injury in training camp, and spent the entire season on the injured reserve left. Though he was expected to return at some point last season, he never did. Alas, hip injuries for NFL kickers are like broken legs for race horses—one injury, and your career is probably over.
His replacement, Riley Patterson, made 27 of 29 field goal attempts for the Dolphins in 2025, though he only attempted four kicks over 50 yards, making three of them.
In seven seasons with the Dolphins, Sanders made 187 of 221 field goal attempts, the second-most in franchise history. He kicked six game winning field goals for the Dolphins, the latest coming towards the end of the 2023 regular season in a win over the Dallas Cowboys that sent the Dolphins to the playoffs. He still boasts a 100% success rate on field goals attempted within the final minute of the fourth quarter or overtime (7 for 7).
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