Breaking Down the Big Brewer Contract Extension

The Miami Dolphins have taken care of another foundational piece.
The signing of center Aaron Brewer to a three-year contract extension, as reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter on Wednesday, has locked in another standout who will be a key to the Dolphins' rebuilding project.
This move comes a couple of weeks after the team signed 2025 team MVP De'Von Achane to an extension.
In his second season after joining the Dolphins as an unrestricted free agent, Brewer emerged as one of the top centers in the NFL in 2025 when he earned second-team All-Pro honors and was one of the four finalists for the inaugural Protector of the Year given to the league's best offensive lineman despite being snubbed in the Pro Bowl selection process.
Brewer's extension, per Schefter, will be for three years and $52.5 million, with $37 million guaranteed.
That annual average of $17.5 million would become the third-highest among NFL centers, according to Over The Cap, behind the (ridiculous) $27 million the Las Vegas Raiders gave Tyler Linderbaum as a free agent this offseason and the $18 million for the Kansas City Chiefs' Creed Humphrey, who was the first-team All-Pro selection last season.
In terms of guaranteed money, the $37 million will put Brewer fourth among center behind Linderbaum ($81 million), Humphrey ($50.3 million) and the Philadelphia Eagles' Cam Jurgens ($43.3 million).
Brewer, a team captain in 2025, is the anchor of a Dolphins offensive line that has high hopes after the emergence of left tackle Patrick Paul last season and the selection of Kadyn Proctor in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft.
Brewer's extension came after his contract was restructured earlier in the offseason to create much-needed cap space until Bradley Chubb's cap savings showed up June 1.
Despite not having his extension yet on a contract that was set to expire after next season, Brewer always was present during the offseason practices the media viewed, except for one time when head coach Jeff Hafley said he was absent because of "family obligations."
WHAT ABOUT BROOKS?
Brewer's extension leaves linebacker Jordyn Brooks, a first-team All-Pro selection last year, as the one player with a contract situation that needs to be resolved.
Brooks is headed into the final year of the contract he signed when he joined the Dolphins as a UFA from the Seattle Seahawks in 2024, but his contract wasn't restructured this offseason and he currently carries a cap number of $10.8 million.
What makes his situation a bit cloudy is his trade value — the Dallas Cowboys have been rumored to be interested — along with the fact the Dolphins selected linebackers Jacob Rodriguez and Kyle Louis in the first four rounds of the draft this year.
Brooks, who has no guaranteed salary left on his contract, also has been on hand for every practice open to the media this offseason despite all the work except for the three-day minicamp being voluntary.
Brooks also was a team captain in 2025, so his value to the Dolphins is clear and the likelihood is he'll get his extension as well, though as we chronicled a few days ago the idea of a trade can't be dismissed until it happens.

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of Miami Dolphins On SI and host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press and the Dolphins team website. In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books, such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.
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