Good NFL News for Johnson As He Continues to Deliver for the Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins cornerback has gotten better and better with each passing game

Miami Dolphins cornerback Chris Johnson (3) looks on during practice at Baptist Health Training Complex. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Things have been moving in the right direction for Miami Dolphins rookie Chris Johnson since a rough start to the season.

His performance keeps getting better every week to the point he's as effective as any rookie on the roster — yes, even on a par with the much more heralded Jacob Rodriguez.

And there's been good news on the field as well for Johnson, who successfully appealed his NFL fine resulting from a tackle against Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty.

In addition to getting back the $17,911 he had been fined for a hip-drop tackle — and remember that there was no flag on the play — Johnson also saw disappear one of his three strikes for that particular violation.

As part of a new rule in 2026, repeat offenders in one of three categories now can be suspended for a game with three violations, and hip-drop tackles is one of them — the other two are blindside blocks and hits on a defenseless player.

So now Johnson has his fine money back and he's again got a clean slate with the league.

JOHNSON'S STEADY PROGRESS

On the field, Johnson has come a long way since that opener against the Raiders when he was victimized for a couple of touchdown passes.

His performance in Week 5 against the Cincinnati Bengals might have been his best yet, and it went beyond the forced fumble he produced with a perfectly executed "Peanut punch" in the second half.

While we understand that Pro Football Focus' grades shouldn't be viewed as the ultimate gauge, their game-by-game grades for Johnson have indicated the steady and consistent progress everybody who has watched Dolphins games can plainly see.

PFF gave Johnson an 86.9 overall grade for Week 5, his third consecutive game with at least a 69 mark after he was under 50 for the first two games against the Raiders and San Francisco 49ers.

"I thought Chris had a solid game," Hafley said of Johnson's work against Cincinnati. "There's a couple plays where, just like any of us, I'm sure that he wants back, but I see the confidence overall just growing with him. I mean, you can see it when he's playing out there. Early in the season, when he had some moments where guys caught balls on him, I kind of didn't feel like the response was where we needed it to be. I don't feel that anymore. I thought this was a big test for him with the wide receivers they had as a rookie and overall, I'd say he answered it pretty well and regardless of the outcome of certain plays, I love the confidence and the energy that he's playing with."

What always needs to be mentioned when discussing Johnson is the fact he continues to split time between the slot and outside, a difficult assignment for any cornerback, let alone a rookie.

Whether inside or outside, what's been consistent about Johnson has been his tackling ability, which would have to be considered high end for a cornerback.

Because he hasn't gotten an interception just yet and because of the bend-but-don't-break style of defense the Dolphins have employed, where they're willing to give up underneath completions to protect against the deep ball, Johnson has flown under the radar a lot more than Rodriguez, who keeps racking up the tackles, but the Dolphins have reason to be as excited right now about Johnson's future potential as that of Rodriguez, with the two making up a good start for a foundation on defense.