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After they moved on from Jason Sanders, the Miami Dolphins had a hole at kicker, but instead of bringing in one, they signed two, Zane Gonzalez and Riley Patterson, within days of each other.
Now, this offseason, the Dolphins will have a competition at the position to see who gives the team the best shot of winning games in 2026.
While we wait for that battle to commence, we finally know the details of both kickers' contracts (via Over the Cap) for this upcoming season. So, let's break them down and see if there's anything we can glean from them.
Gonzalez signed first, inking a one-year deal that includes a $1.3 million base salary, a $100,000 signing bonus and an $87,000 roster bonus. His cap hit for 2026 is $1.26 million, and if the Dolphins were to cut him, they would have a $100,000 dead cap hit.
Patterson signed later, agreeing to a one-year deal with a $1.22 million salary and $187,500 in per-game roster bonuses. His cap hit for the year is the same at $1.26 million, but they could release him at any time and reclaim the full contract.
That $100,000 difference isn't huge, but it's interesting that Miami was willing to give a signing bonus to the kicker who wasn't in the building last year. That may mean Gonzalez has the edge going into the competition.
More Dolphins: Dolphins 2026 free agency tracker: Latest news, rumors and signings
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: NFL free agency: What contracts did the Dolphins give their 2 kickers?
Continue reading...
Now, this offseason, the Dolphins will have a competition at the position to see who gives the team the best shot of winning games in 2026.
While we wait for that battle to commence, we finally know the details of both kickers' contracts (via Over the Cap) for this upcoming season. So, let's break them down and see if there's anything we can glean from them.
Gonzalez signed first, inking a one-year deal that includes a $1.3 million base salary, a $100,000 signing bonus and an $87,000 roster bonus. His cap hit for 2026 is $1.26 million, and if the Dolphins were to cut him, they would have a $100,000 dead cap hit.
Patterson signed later, agreeing to a one-year deal with a $1.22 million salary and $187,500 in per-game roster bonuses. His cap hit for the year is the same at $1.26 million, but they could release him at any time and reclaim the full contract.
That $100,000 difference isn't huge, but it's interesting that Miami was willing to give a signing bonus to the kicker who wasn't in the building last year. That may mean Gonzalez has the edge going into the competition.
More Dolphins: Dolphins 2026 free agency tracker: Latest news, rumors and signings
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: NFL free agency: What contracts did the Dolphins give their 2 kickers?
Continue reading...
