Dolphins Make Move Toward Keeping Kohou

The Miami Dolphins place a tender on restricted free agent cornerback Kader Kohou

Miami Dolphins cornerback Kader Kohou (4) runs with the ball after intercepting a pass from San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy during second half at Hard Rock Stadium last December. | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins took a big — and anticipated — step toward keeping Kader Kohou on Saturday.

The team announced it had place the right-of-first-refusal (ROFR) tender on the three-year cornerback, ahead of the free agency period that starts Wednesday.

The cost of the ROFR tender is $3.3 million, which is what Kohou will make and what his cap number will be unless a new contract is negotiated.

By definition, this allows the Dolphins to match any offer sheet Kohou gets from another team, but calls for no compensation if they decline to do so.

Teams signed other players' tendered restricted free agents is pretty uncommon, so we can expect Kohou to be back with the Dolphins in 2025.

The $3.3 million represents a nice raise for Kohou, who made $985,000 in 2024.

Kohou joined the Dolphins as a rookie free agent in 2022 and has started 38 of the 47 games he has played in his three seasons in Miami. He started nine of the 15 games he played last season when he finished with two interceptions, one against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3 and the one that all but clinched the Week 16 victory against the San Francisco 49ers at Hard Rock Stadium.

Kohou was one of the team's three restricted free agents this offseason, along with wide receiver Anthony Schwartz and linebacker Quinton Bell.

Reports Friday indicated the team already has informed Bell that he would not be tendered, which will make him an unrestricted free agent Wednesday. While there has been no report or announcement, it's almost impossible to believe the Dolphins would put a tender on Schwartz, who spent all of last season on injured reserve and hasn't played in an NFL regular season game since 2022.

THE DOLPHINS' UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

Along with their RFAs, the Dolphins also had three exclusive-rights free agents this offseason and 25 impending unrestricted free agents.

The team announced last week it tendered ERFAs Cameron Goode and Kion Smith, but not wide receiver Grant DuBose.

The list of UFAs is topped by safety Jevon Holland and defensive tackle Calais Campbell.

The other impending UFAs are QB Tyler Huntley, RB Jeff Wilson Jr., WR Braxton Berrios, WR River Cracraft, WR Dee Eskridge, TE Jack Stoll, T Kendall Lamm, G/T Jackson Carman, G Isaiah Wynn, G Robert Jones, G Liam Eichenberg, EDGE Emmanuel Ogbah, EDGE Tyus Bowser, DT Da'Shawn Hand, DT Benito Jones, LB Duke Riley, LB Tyrel Dodson, LB Cam Brown, LB Anthony Walker Jr., CB Siran Neal, S Elijah Campbell, S Jordan Poyer and LS Jake McQuaide.