Stay or Go for Dolphins Free Agent CB Jack Jones

The Miami Dolphins have a big offseason ahead with first-time general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley.

One of the first things they’ll have to decide on is the team’s 29 internal free agents. That is not a small number, and the Dolphins already have a ton of roster needs. Every player who isn’t brought back just adds another to the list.

With that in mind, we will break down Miami’s top internal free agents and try to decide whether they should stay or go. Let’s talk about Jack Jones.

Why the Dolphins Should Re-Sign Jack Jones

Jones’ case is difficult to talk about without bringing up Rasul Douglas. Miami should keep one of these players heading into next season.

However, as we highlighted when doing this exercise for Douglas, he might have played his way into a contract the Dolphins can’t afford. If that’s the case, the team should consider bringing back Jones.

Jones isn’t likely to fetch the same kind of contract as Douglas. He’s also younger (28), so if the Dolphins want to stay away from paying players over 30 (like Douglas), Jones would make more sense.

He had an up-and-down season in 2025, but he made enough plays to merit bringing him back in 2026. Jones also seemed to be a positive force in regard to energy and effort against the run.

Jones is probably best served as a team’s primary backup on the outside, not someone who plays 936 snaps like he did this past season. However, the Dolphins’ cornerback room has zero reliable options under contract for 2026.

The team’s only cornerbacks under contract for 2026 are Storm Duck, JuJu Brents, Jason Maitre, Isaiah Johnson, Jason Marshall Jr. and Ethan Robinson.

Only Marshall and Robinson made it through last season without a major injury, and Robinson didn't take any snaps on defense.

Duck and Brents are NFL players; they’re just coming off major injuries. Signing Jones to a modest one-year deal before free agency opens to pair him with Duck, Brents, and Marshall Jr. would give the Dolphins some type of floor at cornerback.

The team would certainly benefit from adding a highly-touted rookie, but if 2026 is supposed to be a rebuilding year, seeing if Jones can build on 2025 might be worth it.

Why the Dolphins Should Let Jones Walk

The most obvious answer is that Jones’ coverage performance was incredibly inconsistent last season. The team can easily recreate his production in 2026 for less or the same amount of money.

His passer rating allowed of 119.3 this past season was the highest of his career. In fact, it’s the first time Jones has ever had a passer rating allowed higher than 100 in a full season.

His tackling was also a problem throughout 2025. While he made 25 stops (tackles that result in a negative play for the offense), he also had a missed tackle percentage of 18.8, according to Pro Football Focus.

For reference, that number should be closer to the 10 to 12% range.

Jones is young enough to still have some upside worth developing, but he’s been an inconsistent coverage player and tackler his entire career. Usually, he produces more turnovers, which makes the tradeoff worth it.

That wasn’t the case in 2025, as Jones had just the one interception. To his credit, it was an incredibly important one that helped the team beat Washington in overtime.

Final Verdict on Jones

My opinion on Jones comes down to what the Dolphins decide to do with Douglas. If he’s brought back early in the free agency process, then Jones should be allowed to walk.

If the team knows it can’t afford Douglas or doesn’t want to invest in a veteran over 30, then bringing Jones back makes a lot of sense.

My process would be to see whether either player would return for a short, one-year deal before free agency opens. If either of them jumps at it, that’s the player I would retain. Douglas is a better cornerback than Jones right now, but the Dolphins don’t have a ton of resources this offseason.

Trying to match an offer Douglas gets from a contender just doesn’t make sense for Miami’s team-building window. In theory, Jones’ experience could still be valuable in 2026, and he’d come at a lower price.

There would have to be an acknowledgement that you’re getting what you pay for, but those are the types of concessions the Dolphins will have to make at various positions this offseason.

Frankly, Jones is one of the more comfortable picks of that group.

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