Dolphins sign kicker Jason Sanders to 5-year extension

Dolphins agree to terms on extension with kicker Jason Sanders

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The first big move of the Miami Dolphins’ offseason is reportedly here. And, fittingly enough, it’s a special teams extension.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter has reported that the Dolphins have agreed to terms on a five-year contract extension worth a total of $22 million with kicker Jason Sanders. The deal, which will keep Sanders tied to the Dolphins through the 2026 season, puts him among the upper echelon of NFL kickers and helps keep one of Miami’s most reliable point-scorers in the picture for a long time.

Sanders enjoyed a terrific season this past year, connecting on 36 of 39 field goal attempts and all 36 of his extra points on the year. In all, he missed just three kicks on the year — two field goals between 40-49 yards and one field goal from beyond 50 yards. Miami was a team that generally considered points on the board if they crossed the opposing team’s 40-yard line all season long because of Sanders’ reliability.

Sanders, who was drafted by the Dolphins in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL draft out of New Mexico, gives them their first extension of the offseason and with his contract out of the way, the Dolphins figure to experience little detriment to their offseason strategy. This long-term deal is a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of NFL team building, which makes the agreement a no brainer for both sides.

Sanders’ new annual average salary of $4.4 million per season on the extension will make him the fourth-highest paid kicker in the league, trailing only Justin Tucker, Graham Gano and Ka’imi Fairbairn.

Update: That didn’t take long! Sanders and the team have inked the contract, officially putting him under contract through 2026.