The Miami Dolphins saw their postseason aspirations come to an end on Monday Night Football in Pittsburgh as they lost 28-15. They were officially eliminated from playoff contention with the loss, and with that they extended the NFL’s longest playoff win drought.
Despite winning four straight games before losing to the Steelers, the Dolphins’ season has been a disappointment as they’ve failed to ever reach the .500 mark. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is having his worst season since his rookie year, and now leads the NFL in interceptions.
Following the game, news didn’t improve for Miami. One of the bright spots for Miami has been linebacker Jordyn Brooks. However, during the game against Pittsburgh, Brooks was penalized with unsportsmanlike conduct for taunting after the play. The penalty gave the Steelers an automatic first down, and the drive resulted in a Pittsburgh touchdown.
Monday Night Football announcer Troy Aikman strongly disagreed with the call, as he said “that’s ridiculous.”
Dolphins Star Linebacker Punished by NFL
To make matters worse for Jordyn Brooks, the taunting penalty carries a fine. The Dolphins linebacker will hope the NFL rescinds the fine. If not, he’ll face a $11,593 fine. The NFL announces fines on Saturday at 4:00 ET, at which point we’ll learn whether Brooks will be fined or not.
Despite the unfortunate penalty, Brooks has been having a stellar season for the Miami Dolphins. He leads the NFL with 155 combined tackles and has also recorded 3.5 sacks. ESPN analyst Ben Solak said of Brooks, “He has delivered a first team All-Pro caliber season on a defense without much talent besides him.”
Regarding his taunting penalty, Brooks said “I apologized to them, that was selfish on my part. Frustrated in the game, I let emotions get the best of me.” It’s hard to blame the Dolphins linebacker for the loss as he finished with 13 combined tackles and a sack during the game.
Jordyn Brooks arrived in Miami after signing a three-year $26.25 million contract with the Dolphins prior to the 2024 season. Miami restructured his deal prior to the 2025 season in a move that helped the team create cap space. He currently has no guaranteed money remaining on his deal, which means he’ll likely seek a contract extension after the season.
The Miami Dolphins Remaining Three Games
With the Dolphins eliminated from playoff contention, they technically have nothing to play for. However, that is not entirely true for some members of the Dolphins staff. General manager Chris Grier was already fired during the season after their 2-7 start, while head coach Mike McDaniel was allowed to remain the team’s coach for the remainder of the year.
Whether Mike McDaniel’s job security extends beyond this season remains to be seen, but it is hard to envision a scenario where a performance like Miami’s Monday Night Football doesn’t create any doubt in his future.
Even announcer Troy Aikman was surprised by Miami’s performance. He described their fourth quarter as “It just is about as ridiculous a fourth quarter as I’ve seen in a long time.”
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