Earlier this offseason, Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier called safety Jevon Holland “an important piece” of the roster and a player the team planned to have extension talks with before the 2024 season.
But with negotiations with Tua Tagovailoa ongoing, Holland hasn’t been the top priority for the team.
“If Tua [Tagovailoa] ain’t getting it done, I’m not getting done. I’m on the back burner,” Holland told reporters last week, via Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald. “I don’t know much. I just work here.”
It’s not too surprising that talks with Holland haven’t quite ramped up yet. In addition to the Dolphins’ attention being locked on to their quarterback, the team also doesn’t quite have the funds to be dishing out a deal to their safety.
Miami is near the bottom of the NFL in cap space and still has to sign its seven-player 2024 NFL draft class. That shouldn’t hinder talks for Tagovailoa, who may even drop his $23,171,000 cap hit for the 2024 season with a new contract, as the Dolphins typically structure contracts with the majority of their cap liabilities coming later in a deal.
They may not be able to do that Holland, though. The 2021 second-round pick is due to count only $4.29 million against the team’s cap next year. A new contract — which will likely average more than $20 million per season — may be backloaded, but could prove difficult to get done if it raises his 2024 cap hit even a little bit.
Fortunately for the Dolphins, relief is on the way soon. Later this week, Xavien Howard — who was designated as a post-June 1 release — will officially come off the books, clearing $18.5 million in additional space. That could be all Miami needs to ramp up talks with its 24-year-old rising star in the secondary.
Through three seasons, Holland has five career interceptions, four forced fumbles, four sacks, and seven tackles for loss. Earlier this month, PFF called him one of the NFL’s 25 best players under the age of 25.
