Dolphins Emerge as Logical Threat to Sign Commanders Guard Chris Paul

The Washington Commanders inserted guard Chris Paul into the starting lineup in Week 3, and he never gave the job back. After never hitting the 500 snap mark in his NFL career in a single season, Paul played nearly 1,000 in 2025, and because of it he might have played his last in burgundy and gold.

A breakout season leading to a payday

“Every year, we comb the free agent market to identify players who might do better than fans or the media expect,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano shared recently. “These aren't marquee players, but they have enough interest to drive up contract prices to varying degrees,” and Paul, the Commanders’ starting left guard for most of 2025, is among those names.

“He had 15 starts last season with a powerful style of play; starting guards with a pulse get paid,” the duo says of the pending free agent out of Washington.

Not only is his starting experience earned last season going to help him, but so too is the fact that he’s turning just 28 years old in 2026, and while he doesn’t have an extensive starting resume, he showed plenty of potential in 2025. That potential is likely to make a team believe in his future, and getting him at a relatively cheap deal for a starting guard with room to grow means that by the middle of any three or four-year deal, that team may be getting a bargain.

Oct 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (22) celebrates with guard Chris Paul (75) after scoring a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Paying for potential versus proven ability

For the Commanders, it means general manager Adam Peters may be forced into a position where he pays for potential over proven ability, and if the negotiations with receiver Terry McLaurin taught us anything it’s that he’s not the type to be pushed off his spot once he lands on it.

The market value on Paul currently sits at just under $5 million per year, but there are those who believe he could reach north of $8 million per year in his next contract, even if the guarantees aren’t as high as the total value might suggest.

A logical landing spot in Miami

One team worth watching if Paul and Washington don’t agree on a new deal before the open negotiating period begins on March 9 is the Miami Dolphins.

For starters, new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan is inheriting a Dolphins roster that needs interior offensive line help and is in a position where spending smart is the best path. This may take the franchise out of contention for the top of the market names, but aligns them appropriately with mid-level contracts with high upside, like Paul.

Add to the mix that Patrick Paul, Chris’s brother, plays for Miami, and you’ve got a good combination of team need and player motivation to make the connection plausible.

That, of course, is if Peters doesn’t lock down his starting left guard before the Dolphins or anyone else gets a chance to make a run on him. With less than one week until the market officially opens, we won’t have to wait long to find out.