Dolphins Losing Most Significant Free Agent to Date

The Miami Dolphins could use reinforcements at the cornerback position, but it won't be coming from a return by 2025 starter Jack Jones.

After one season with the Dolphins, Jones has left an unrestricted free agent by agreeing to terms on a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers, according to national reports.

Jones, a talented fourth-round pick of the New England Patriots in 2022 who has had a checkered career, joined the Dolphins last July after Kader Kohou went down with a knee injury at the start of training camp and turned in a pretty solid season for Miami.

While advanced metrics from Pro Football Reference weren't kind to Jones — he was charged with a 119.3 opponent passer rating when targeted — he did come up with his share of big plays for a defense that had its struggles.

Jones had two forced fumbles on the season, one in the Week 4 victory against the New York Jets in the Monday night game and the other at the Miami 25-yard line in the victory against the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium in Week 10.

His biggest play, though, came the following week in the game against the Washington Commanders in Madrid, Spain, when he picked off Marcus Mariota in overtime to set up Riley Patterson's game-winning field goal in the second of four consecutive victories that got the Dolphins to 6-7 on the season before things fell apart at the end.

Joining the 49ers is another opportunity for Jones to gain a foothold as an NFL starting cornerback, though he'll have to be more consistent in San Francisco if he hopes to stay there more than one year.

Jones' counterpart at cornerback last year, veteran Rasul Douglas, also was an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but he remains unsigned.

Given where the Dolphins are as an organization and his market value after a very good 2025 season, it would be surprising if he didn't get a good offer from another at some point, perhaps after the draft once free agent signings no longer affect the compensatory pick formula.

THE MIAMI DOLPHINS 2026 FREE AGENCY SCORECARD (as of April 10)

Signed
QB Malik Willis (Green Bay)
WR Jalen Tolbert (Dallas)
WR Tutu Atwell (L.A. Rams)
TE Ben Sims (Minnesota)
T Charlie Heck (Tampa Bay)
G/T Jamaree Salyer (L.A. Chargers)
EDGE Josh Uche (Philadelphia)
EDGE Robert Beal Jr. (San Francisco)
LB Ronnie Harrison Jr. (Atlanta)
CB Alex Austin (New England)
CB Marco Wilson (Cincinnati)
CB Darrell Baker Jr. (Tennessee)
S Lonnie Johnson Jr. (Las Vegas)
S Zayne Anderson (Green Bay)
K Zane Gonzalez (Atlanta)
P Bradley Pinion (Atlanta)
P Seth Vernon
LS Tucker Addington
LS Taybor Pepper

Re-signed
TE Greg Dulcich
DT Matthew Butler
EDGE Cameron Goode
LB Willie Gay Jr.
CB Ethan Bonner
CB A.J. Green III
K Riley Patterson

Signed with another team
QB Tua Tagovailoa (Atlanta)
FB Alec Ingold (L.A. Chargers)
TE Julian Hill (New England)
G Cole Strange (L.A. Chargers)
T Larry Borom (Detroit)
EDGE Bradley Chubb (Buffalo)
CB Kader Kohou (Kansas City)
CB Jack Jones (San Francisco)
DB Elijah Campbell (N.Y. Giants)
K Jason Sanders (N.Y. Giants)
P Jake Bailey (Atlanta)
LS Joe Cardona (L.A. Rams)

Traded
WR Jaylen Waddle (Denver)
S Minkah Fitzpatrick (N.Y. Jets)