NFL: Miami Dolphins make Zach Sieler highest-paid defensive player with $67.5m extension

The Miami Dolphins have handed a three-year contract extension to defensive tackle Zach Sieler as they target a surge in the NFL this season.

The deal is valued at up to $67.75 million, including $44m guaranteed, and marks a significant jump from his previous contract.

With an average annual value of $22.5m, Sieler now ranks among the league’s top earners at his position and becomes Miami’s highest-paid defender.

Sieler originally signed a three-year, $30m extension in 2023, but his continued production – notably back-to-back 10-sack seasons – warranted an updated deal.

Until now, he had ranked just 29th among NFL defensive tackles in terms of average annual salary, only marginally ahead of Browns rookie Mason Graham.

Reflecting on Progress

A respected team captain, Sieler acknowledged the importance of securing a new contract, but admitted that staying present with his teammates was just as vital.

“Everyone’s their own human. They can handle things how they want,” Sieler said last month.

“This is how I choose to handle it, but I hope the message that puts out there is that, at end of the day, we’re here to play football.

“Now obviously that stuff’s very important to me – the respect and the money that my family gets and makes from this game.

“We give it all on the line every single day, and I’m going to continue to do that every day.

“But to be able to go out there and work despite everything, I think I’m trying to show that you can go out there and play your best ball and still work through stuff without having to compartmentalize things.”

Head coach Mike McDaniel was full of praise for the 30-year-old, highlighting his consistency and dedication amid contract discussions.

“I think you define yourself by your actions, most of all in life,” McDaniel said.

“I’m very aware that all players have a choice in what they do on a day-to-day basis, specifically with Zach, and his actions speak – and I think his teammates very much recognize how Zach Sieler plays football and contributes to the building every day.

“And I think Zach has a vision of a team that I share and he understands as a leader, he’s trying to show guys how he wants teammates to play football and I’m excited every time I see Zach Sieler.”

From Underdog to Cornerstone

Sieler’s journey to NFL prominence has been anything but conventional. He entered the league as a seventh-round draft pick (238th overall) in 2018 by the Baltimore Ravens.

Though waived by the Ravens the following year, the Dolphins claimed him immediately – a move that has since paid off handsomely.

After posting a modest nine sacks over his first three seasons in Miami, Sieler broke out with 10 sacks in both 2023 and 2024, leading the team in each campaign.

His disruptive presence has not gone unnoticed across the league, either. Since the start of the 2023 season, only the Ravens’ Justin Madubuike has recorded more quarterback hits than Sieler’s 41.

Adblock test (Why?)