Former Dolphins Top Pick Continues to Work His Way Back to NFL

Linebacker Channing Tindall spent the past three seasons with Miami

Miami Dolphins linebacker Channing Tindall (41) makes a tackle in the first quarter during a preseason game at Hard Rock Stadium on Friday, August 11, 2023, in Miami Gardens, FL. | JEFF ROMANCE/THE PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK

Channing Tindall continues to get looks around the NFL, so maybe it's a matter of time until the Miami Dolphins' top pick of the 2022 draft finds himself another team.

Tindall had a tryout with the Arizona Cardinals on Tuesday, days after he had a tryout with the Cleveland Browns. He was among five linebackers who worked for Arizona on Tuesday, with one among the group being another former Dolphins, Duke Riley. The other three were Trace Ford, Nick Morrow and Antwaun Powell-Ryland.

None of the players were signed.

Last week, Tindall was among 10 players who worked out for the Cleveland Browns.

Tindall, a third-round pick in that 2022 draft, recorded five tackles in 11 games in 2024 and was the fifth inside linebacker on the depth chart behind Jordyn Brooks, David Long Jr., Riley and Anthony Walker Jr. Primarily a special teams player, he didn’t play any defensive snaps.

The Dolphins chose to release him during initial 53-man roster cuts, entering the 2025 season with just four inside linebackers: starters Brooks and Tyrel Dodson, with free agent additions Willie Gay Jr. and K.J. Britt providing depth.

“I thought Channing played very well,” linebackers coach and run game coordinator Joe Barry said. “But the numbers game, [Tindall had] four pretty good guys in front of him. 

“That's the luxury that we have in the inside linebacker room, that we have four guys that have all played and started a lot of NFL football games. It's an unfortunate deal.”

Tindall struggled to carve out a role in the rotation and didn’t start in any of his 44 appearances for Miami. His development was also complicated by three different defensive coordinators in his first three seasons.

“It's a bummer because, at least my message to him was, hey, this could be awesome,” Barry said.  “This is the first time that you've actually had back to back coordinators, the same coordinator in your NFL career — and he did improve.”

Tindall’s preseason included 16 tackles and two quarterback hits while playing 125 total snaps. Quarterbacks completed 10 of 11 pass attempts against him, though they averaged less than 10 yards per completion.

OTHER FORMER DOLPHINS NEWS

-- Wide receiver Robbie Chosen was released from the San Francisco 49ers practice squad. He spent part of the past two seasons with the Dolphins.

-- Tight end Jack Stoll, who finished the 2024 season with the Dolphins after being claimed off waivers from the Philadelphia Eagles, was promoted to the New Orleans Saints active roster off their practice squad.

-- Meanwhile, edge defender Grayson Murphy still is looking for his first visit or tryout since the Dolphins waived him August 26.