What to Make of Robert Hunt Making the Pro Bowl

The former Miami Dolphins guard was added to the NFC Pro Bowl roster Monday

Carolina Panthers guard Robert Hunt (50) takes the field during the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins offensive line has been the subject of scrutiny and criticism since the team ended its playoff-less 2024 season against the New York Jets on January 5.

In particular, it's the guard position that's been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons after the uneven — some folks would suggest that's being too polite — performances of starters Robert Jones and Liam Eichenberg, both of whom are headed to free agency and questionable to return, to use injury report lingo.

And maybe those issues will make the news that came out Monday more painful, that former Dolphins starting guard Robert Hunt was added to the NFC Pro Bowl roster after his first season with the Carolina Panthers.

As a second alternate, Hunt was added as a replacement for Philadelphia Eagles starter Landon Dickerson, who'll be bowing out of the festivities to prepare for the Super Bowl.

It will be the first Pro Bowl experience for Hunt, who spent the past four seasons with the Dolphins after arriving as a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

"I can't say that was snubbed; I just know I can be better," Hunt said after the initial Pro Bowl rosters were announced.. "I was an alternate last year, so this year, I got closer. I was a closer alternate. Maybe next year, I kick the door down. I'm gonna do all I can in this offseason to try to kick the door down."

COULD THE DOLPHINS HAVE KEPT HUNT?

So here we are, the Dolphins needing to find one or two starting guards in the offseason — Isaiah Wynn also is a pending free agent — when they had a Pro Bowl player on their roster and allowed him to leave.

But did the Dolphins really have a choice?

Hunt signed a five-year deal worth $100 million with the Panthers, which is pretty good money for a starting guard. His cap number was a very reasonable $6.5 million in 2024, per overthecap.com, but it will jump to more than $20 million each of the next four years, though he doesn't have guaranteed money beyond the 2025 season.

Carrying a $20 million cap number for Hunt this year would have been a major problem for the Dolphins, who already are some $12 million over the cap and needing to get cap-compliant with their top 51 by March 21 and have four players with cap numbers exceeding $20 million — Tua Tagovailoa ($39M), Bradley Chubb ($29M), Tyreek Hill ($28M) and Terron Armstead ($23M) — and another five over $10 million.

So the Dolphins already will have cap gymnastics to do this offseason, in part because of the new contracts they gave Tagovailoa, Hill and Jalen Ramsey last summer.

Clearly, and maybe appropriately, Hunt didn't rank as high of a priority. But it sure would be nice to still have him on the roster.