The Miami Dolphins are signing a new punter and long snapper, continuing the promise of infusing competition at every position.
Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley promised the team would infuse competition into every position, and they continue to prove that promise.
The latest example of this was the addition of a new punter and long snapper. Though the Dolphins already had punter Seth Vernon and long snapper Tucker Addington on the roster, the team has added former Atlanta Falcons punter Bradley Pinion and former San Francisco 49ers long snapper Tabor Pepper.
The Dolphins are not only bringing in competition to their roster as Sullivan and Halfey promised, but the team is doing right by the roster by ensuring they can get the best available player at every position.
Special teams are an important aspect of any team, and bringing in players to compete with one another should have a ripple effect. It tells the roster that they need to be the best version of themselves to lock up a starting position, and that competition will be welcomed, so players do not get complacent.
Before adding Pinion and Pepper, it was revealed that the team also brought in place kicker Zane Gonzalez. The initial thought was that Riley Patterson may have played his way into a bigger contract with another team, but that wasn't the case.
Patterson resigned with the Dolphins, which will produce a kicking competition with Gonzalez.
Patterson not only played well in 2025, but he also beat out Jason Sanders' franchise kicking accuracy record. Sanders set the record in 2020 with 92.3 percent, which was beaten by Patterson in 2025, who kicked 93.1 percent.
Now, there will be a competition for the place kicker, punter, and long snapper positions in the 2026 season. Special teams can often be overlooked, but having an inaccurate kicker can make all the difference.
With Hafley running the show, he is clearly making it known that he wants the best possible player at every position with these latest roster moves.
The Dolphins have a long way to go with their current roster, especially after trading Jaylen Waddle, but things are moving in a direction that has not been seen by this organization in a long time.
With Waddle producing a second first-round pick and more, the Dolphins can start their rebuild efforts with an infusion of young talent. It will just be up to Sullivan to hit on the draft picks that Miami has.