Tua Tagovailoa and Mike McDaniel are getting another chance to prove their worth to the Miami Dolphins in the 2025 NFL season. After failing to make the playoffs in 2024, this could be a make-or-break year for the quarterback and head coach.
General manager Chris Grier knows that he’ll be under the microscope too, which is why the front office has an important job to do this offseason. And just a few days before free agency starts, Miami made sure to prevent a player from just walking away.
On Saturday, the Dolphins announced that they have placed a right-of-first-refusal tender on cornerback Kader Kohou, who entered the new league year as a restricted free agent.
With this move, the Dolphins took a necessary measure to have a say in the player’s future before he can sign with another NFL team. Now, Miami will be able to match any contract offer Kohou receives this offseason.
Kohou’s experience with Tua, McDaniel’s Dolphins
As A to Z Sports notes, the Dolphins will have to pay the 26-year-old the tender amount of $3.7 million if he doesn’t receive offers from other teams in 2025. It’s safe to say that the CB earned it.
An undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M Commerce, Kohou has been in Miami since 2022, joining the Dolphins in McDaniel‘s first year at the helm. He immediately settled in, making 13 starts in 15 appearances as a rookie, eventually becoming the Fins’ primary nickel cornerback. In three years, Kohou boasts 38 starts in 47 games played.
A crucial offseason in Miami
Keeping Kohou appears to be crucial for Miami as the team might find a huge gap in that area of the field ahead of the 2025 NFL season, with safeties Jevon Holland and Jordan Poyer expected to sign elsewhere in the open market.
The Dolphins will also need to upgrade in offense, especially in the o-line, to improve around Tagovailoa, but a strong defense also makes the quarterback job easier. The next few weeks will tell us how aggressive and how serious Miami really is about succeeding next year.