The Dolphins didn’t select quarterback Mark Gronowski after visiting with him during the pre-draft process, but he will be on the roster in Miami.
Gronowski was one of 11 undrafted free agents to sign with the team on Friday. He joins Malik Willis, Quinn Ewers, and Cam Miller on the team’s depth chart.
Gronowski was a four-year starter at South Dakota State while also missing time with a torn ACL before transferring to Iowa last year. He ran for 16 touchdowns in his lone season with the Hawkeyes and completed 63.4 percent of his passes.
The Dolphins also signed Iowa State center Jim Bonifas, Boston College tackle Kevin Cline, Oregon State running back Anthony Hankerson, Louisville defensive lineman Rene Konga, Michigan wide receiver Donaven McCulley, Western Michigan edge rusher Rodney McGraw, Indiana safety Louis Moore, Texas A&M running back Le’Veon Moss, Wisconsin edge rusher Mason Reiger, and Kentucky defensive lineman Kahlil Saunders.
Free-agent receiver Tyreek Hill’s current status is complicated primarily by his ongoing recovery from a serious knee injury suffered in September 2025. A pending Personal Conduct Policy investigation further clouds his NFL future.
The situation at the heart of the pending matter could cloud it even more.
TMZ reports that Hill’s estranged wife, Keeta, is attempting through the couple’s divorce action to secure evidence of past incidents of alleged domestic violence involving Hill. Among other things, she has targeted the 2019 incident that prompted a league investigation — and that resulted in Hill voluntarily staying away from the Chiefs’ offseason program.
In early 2019, Hill’s three-year-old son suffered a broken arm. The case was initially closed quickly. Later, it was reopened. In June 2019, Hill met with NFL investigators for eight hours.
Hill was not charged in the case, and the NFL did not suspend him. Keeta Hill wants evidence from both the authorities and from the NFL about the 2019 case.
Keeta Hill has made multiple allegations of domestic violence against Hill in the divorce action. The NFL has an open investigation against Hill regarding those claims.
The Dolphins cut seven players on Monday.
The team announced it has released long snapper Taybor Pepper. It also waived cornerback Isaiah Johnson (failed physical), tight end Zack Kuntz, cornerback Jason Maitre (failed physical), edge Derrick McLendon, inside linebacker K.C. Ossai and punter Seth Vernon.
Johnson has appeared in four career games with Miami, all last season, and totaled three special teams tackles. He entered the NFL as an undrafted college free agent with the Dolphins in 2024 and spent two seasons on the practice squad (2024-25).
Kuntz has appeared in two career games in two seasons with the Jets (2023-24). He entered the NFL as a seventh-round selection of the Jets in the 2023 draft.
Maitre entered the NFL as an undrafted college free agent with Miami in 2024 and spent time on the practice squad.
McLendon has appeared in one career game with Miami, where he spent two seasons on the practice squad (2024-25). He entered the NFL as an undrafted college free agent with Carolina in 2024.
Ossai spent time on the practice squad with Miami in 2025. He entered the NFL as an undrafted college free agent with Houston in 2025 and had a brief stint on the Texans’ practice squad.
Pepper has appeared in 100 career games in seven seasons with Green Bay (2017), Miami (2019) and San Francisco (2020-24). He has also appeared in nine postseason games with San Francisco.
Vernon entered the NFL as an undrafted college free agent with Atlanta in 2022. He spent the offseason and training camp with Minnesota before spending time on Tampa Bay’s practice squad in 2024. He spent the 2025 season with the Michigan Panthers of the UFL, appearing in nine games and recording 23 punts for a 45.4 average, with eight punts pinned inside the 20.
The reduction of the round one selection window from 10 minutes to eight minutes made things move more quickly in the 2026 NFL draft. It also made things very interesting in Dallas.
The new documentary, The Pick Is In, shows the internal machinations within the Cowboys’ draft room regarding the effort to trade up from No. 12 to No. 11, with the Dolphins.
Initially, the Dolphins rejected an offer of a fifth-round pick “plus something” from Cowboys executive Stephen Jones. As Miami’s eight minutes continued to tick away, the Cowboys tried again.
This time, the “plus something” was another fifth-round pick. Miami accepted.
So the deal was done. But there was one detail remaining. The Cowboys needed to get the pick in, or the Dolphins would have been able to take a player before the Cowboys could.
Jones communicated the terms to the league. When he hung up, Jones pointed to the clock and said, “We got ten seconds!”
The Cowboys made the pick without incident, selecting Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. But it wouldn’t have been the first time there was an incident.
In 2003, the Vikings let the clock expire at No. 7 (they apparently thought they had a trade with the Ravens, at No. 10). The Jaguars (who were at No. 8) and the Panthers (who were at No. 9) made their picks before the Vikings selected defensive tackle Kevin Williams at No. 9.
It would have been odd, to say the least, if the Cowboys had blown the window and the Dolphins would have picked before the Cowboys, despite getting two fifth-round picks to let the Cowboys go first.
Obviously, that didn’t happen. But The Pick Is In gives everyone a look behind the curtain into the sausage-making process. And the Cowboys nearly ended up with something in the sausage that was definitely not a caper.
He was the eleventh overall pick in the draft. As of Friday, however, Cowboys safety Caleb Downs had the top-selling jersey among all rookies.
Fanatics has announced, via Fox Sports, the ten best-selling rookie jerseys in the wake of the 2026 draft. Downs leads the way.
Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick, lands at No. 5. That’s one spot behind Steelers rookie quarterback Drew Allar, a third-round pick, who sits at No. 4.
Here’s the full top ten: (1) Downs; (2) Dolphins linebacker Jacob Rodriguez; (3) Cowboys linebacker Malachi Lawrence; (4) Allar; (5) Mendoza; (6) Dolphins cornerback Chris Johnson; (7) Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love; (8) Patriots offensive lineman Caleb Lomu; (9) Bears safety Dillon Thieneman; (10) Jets linebacker David Bailey.
The presence of two Cowboys defensive players in the top three and two Dolphins defensive players in the top six could be a reflection of the overall optimism the fans of those teams are currently feeling. For Dallas, the offense is among the best in the league; it won’t take much defensive improvement to make the team a contender. As to the Dolphins, it’s a new era with the hiring of G.M. Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley.
It’s somewhat surprising that none of the four receivers taken in the first round made the list. And the absence of Rams quarterback Ty Simpson reflects the reality that he’ll be spending a year (or two, or maybe three) behind Matthew Stafford.
The numbers will surely change once the depth charts are determined for 2026 and, after that, the games are played. The rookies who play and play well will see a spike in jersey sales.
